Light
by QueenJennifer
Summary: [FFX-2 & KH crossover]What starts out as an investigation of the Farplane becomes an adventure in new worlds that Yuna and Rikku will never forget.[Yuna x Gippal, Rikku x ? ]
1. Light: Sanguine

**A/N: **This story was written just as an attempt to do something slightly out of the norm from the traditional pairings and occurrences of most fan fiction. Don't misunderstand – most of my favorite stories are traditional pairings, but once in a while it's fun to change things around a bit. Enjoy this twist of fate and remember, Square-Enix owns the characters and the characters own you… for life, yo. Word.

**L**ight

**C**hapter **O**ne **_– Sanguine_**

♥

"High Summoner! Thank you for coming on such short notice."

A lithe, green and blue-eyed brunette nodded in reply. "Please, just call me Yuna."

"Of course," the tall, blue-clad Guado replied with a short bow.

"Yuuuunie!"

The two turned slightly to catch the sight of a shorter blonde leaping from the door of the airship and running towards them. Soon she skidded to a stop next to them and doubled over for a moment to catch her breath. "Whew… So, what seems to be the trouble?" She asked, straightening.

"Lady Yuna, Lady Rikku, you are well aware of the stability issues with the Farplane, are you not?"

"Yes," Yuna replied. "The last time we visited Guadosalam, the entrance was completely blockaded. Has it… gotten worse?"

The silver-haired Guado nodded slowly. "Yes, much worse I'm afraid. Over the course of a few month's time, there have been a number of disturbing reports. Some say that the pyreflies' numbers have grown so great, they have become a health risk to visitors. The combined powers of the pyreflies allow them to create unspeakable visions and… bring them to life."

"Like with fiends…" Rikku added, piecing together the situation.

"Quite similarly, except… they are much more powerful and are unlike anything we've seen in all of Spira. Not only that… They are not always fiends."

"What do you mean?" Yuna asked.

"There have been sightings of men and women borne of the pyrefly clusters. However, they are also unlike any that have ever walked Spira. Their dress is entirely alien. At times they may bear a startling resemblance to the observer, but only for a moment."

"…Creepy…" Rikku whispered.

"Has anyone been hurt by these creatures?" Yuna asked, voice laden with worry.

"Not yet." The Guado replied. "And that is precisely why we've called you here. We wish to prevent any such situation from ever occurring." He looked towards the entrance to the gateway between Spira and the Otherworld. "For centuries it has been the Guado's sworn duty to protect the Farplane. We do not wish our ancestor's efforts to keep it safe to have been in vain."

Yuna nodded, a sad smile forming on her lips. "I completely understand."

"We'll have those uber-creepy creatures out of the plane before you can say 'Childish chocobos chit-chat over chocolate cherries' five times fast!" Rikku cried enthusiastically. "Just lead the way!"

The Guado nodded. "Thank you both. Our leader will meet you just inside the barrier walls and discuss the matter further."

As Yuna climbed after the tall Guado, memories swelled in her heart. _I thought about going inside so many times before. And always, I decided it was better this way… But now, I really don't have a choice. Even if I do see y- him…Him… I can't keep talking to him in my thoughts. Paine's right. I have to learn to move on._

"Yunie?"

"Huh?" Yuna's head whipped to the side to meet Rikku's concerned gaze.

"You okay, Yunie?" Her friend asked with a small smile. "This place…"

Yuna nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." She gazed forward at the quickly approaching barrier door. "I knew I'd have to come back sooner or later." She paused for a moment. "Actually, I could ask the same of you…"

Rikku shook her head. "I'm fine, too. I do still miss Gippal, but… It's not really the same, y'know?" She smiled. "Even though I'm sure he would have been honored, no- supremely blessed- to have me for a girlfriend…" She smirked. "We just liked to piss each other off with stuff like that. I don't really know how to explain it. We knew each other for so long that it would've been kinda weird to think of each other as anything more than just friends. Even though most people thought we should be… Which is why that was his favorite way to get me angry."

"It seemed to work pretty well…" Replied Yuna, smiling at the memory.

"I know!" Rikku exclaimed. "And to think, _I_ was the one who started that trick and he went and used it against me! And was better at it! But, there was this one time when _I_ saw him and…" She stopped short realizing they had arrived. "…Wowwie… That's some barricade…"

Two sets of guards slowly pulled the thick, metal doors open. The trio stepped into the dimly lit passageway and their guide bowed and took his leave. Soon the two Spirans were greeted by a familiar voice.

"Ah, Lady Yuna and Lady Rikku! Thank heavens you've come!" Tromell cried as he shook their hands.

"We came as soon as we heard." Yuna replied.

"How can we help?" Rikku chimed in.

"If I may direct your attention over here…" Tromell motioned towards a medium-sized sphere screen. "This is footage of the Farplane captured only a few days ago. It shows the more disturbing of the pyreflies' creations – men and women the likes of which have never been seen." Tromell activated a small, green sphere set in a holder at the side of the screen and the movie began to play. "I will explain the rest of the situation afterwards."

At first everything seemed to be in order. The plane was deserted. All around its rocky borders, a few pyreflies danced, glittering in the strange light of the blackened moon. The powerful water of the surrounding falls pounded into oblivion and melted seamlessly with the fields of wildflowers covering the grounds. And then, very slowly, it all began to change – starting with the pyreflies themselves. Ever so slightly, the pitch of their usual cry began to change into a higher tone. Their wail became more intense. It was almost as if they were in pain. Their color began to change as well. The turned from jeweled tones to deep, rich reds and golds. They gathered together in sweeping clusters and soon took the shape of dark-cloaked figures. For a few moments, the figures gazed around at the scenery, then took a few steps forward. One figure turned towards another and mumbled something incoherent. The other nodded stiffly and motioned to the others. A few moments later, they glowed bright red and reverted to clusters of pyreflies. The pyreflies continued to rush around wildly until a few moments later when they regained their normal coloring and pitch.

Tromell switched the sphere off. "We've had our foremost experts on pyrefly behavior review the sphere and they've all come up with different explanations. Some believe the pyreflies are simply morphing images they have recreated in the past together to develop entirely new images and that the cause might be some sort of madness or instability within the pyreflies themselves. They believe it may have something to do with the disappearance of the fayth. Perhaps because the pyreflies were unaccustomed to such a change taking place and they may have not been able to adjust well. Others claim it may be connected to the disappearing forest. The sphere pool is drying up. It has long been thought to be the pyreflies' source of… 'life.' Their display may be a purging of images as a result of a dying process. But, despite all this, I find myself disagreeing with the experts. I can't explain why, but I cannot bring myself to believe that the pyreflies would be capable of death or madness. What do you think, Lady Yuna?"

Yuna thought for a moment. "I think you're right, Tromell. It doesn't seem possible. What disturbs me is the way the pyreflies made the transition. It almost seemed as if they were forced to transform against their will."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too." Rikku continued. "Maybe the pyreflies are being controlled somehow. But the question is by who… or what?" She scratched her head and began to pace slowly. "We can rule out Shuyin. His pyrefly-possessing days are over."

Yuna nodded. "And everyone else has been sent… I think…"

Tromell's eyes widened at the prospect of unsent spirits. "You… think?"

"Yeah, of course they're sent," Rikku chirped, "Heh… heh… Why wouldn't they be?"

"They probably are. I just… Sometimes I wonder. After seeing Lord Jyscal years ago, I've often wondered just how permanent a sending could be. Especially for those that died an unclean death."

"Ooooh… Yunie… Don't talk like that! You're giving me the heebie-jeebies!" Rikku whined. "I-I'm sure that everyone is staying where they should be…" She glanced nervously over at the looming gateway beyond. "AHEM! I SAID 'STAYING WHERE THEY SHOULD BE'…"

"I'm sure you're right, Lady Rikku. Lord Jyscal is the only case I know of where a sent attempted to leave the Farplane. I'm fairly sure it will not happen again." Tromell replied, attempting to calm the jumpy blonde.

"I hope you're right…" Rikku replied. She took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. "Okie dokie! Let's get this investigation under way!"

"Right," Yuna agreed. _It's now or never…_

"Good luck to both of you. Please be careful. Remember, your lives take priority. If it becomes too much, leave quickly." Tromell said, worry surfacing behind his ancient eyes.

"We'll be careful," Yuna replied with a small smile. With that she and Rikku cautiously made their way up the remainder of the path and into the gateway's water-like opening.

In a few moments, they ascended a short set of steps and made their way into the heart of the Farplane's central plane. They gazed across the surface, looking for the slightest hint of disturbance. Neither one dared to venture closer to the edge of the plane.

_This is ridiculous, _Yuna thought contemptuously. _I can't avoid it forever, can I? …Damn it… When is it someone else's turn to save the world? I wouldn't even be here if…_

Rikku looked over and grasped her cousin's hand. "Maybe if we go together it won't be so bad…" She offered with a sad smile.

Yuna nodded and the two of them stepped forward slowly. They willed themselves not to think about the missing blondes…

…which of course made it much harder not to.

Rikku started humming to herself, which caused Yuna to look over at her incredulously. "I was sent here to find some cloaked freaks _only_." The younger woman explained. "So if I don't want to see anything _but_ those weirdoes, I don't have to!"

"Right!" Yuna agreed with a determined nod. She began to hum loudly along with the blonde.

(Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm… Banana Phone…)

_Hah…He would use this as blackmail against me for the rest of my life…_ "Oh, crap!" Rikku cried, slapping her forehead. She and Yuna looked up quickly and saw…

…nothing?

"…What the…? I thought about Gippal… Where the heck is he?" She released her cousin's hand and crossed her arms. "Gippal! Hey! You big meanie! Don't you hide from me!"

Yuna blinked a few times. At the words "Oh crap" from her cousin, she knew her own resolve had broken as well, but _he_ hadn't appeared either. "Rikku," her cousin cried, snapping the blonde out of her yelling match with thin air.

"What?"

"…Tidus didn't appear either…" An excited grin spread across her face. "Maybe they're still-"

"No!" Rikku interrupted. "No… You can't trust the Farplane right now. It's not working right, remember?"

Yuna forced out a small laugh. "Yeah… I guess so…" _I can't keep doing this…_

"Let's just get this over with and get the heck out of here."

"I'd love to," Yuna replied, "but I don't see anything out of the ordinary."

As if on cue, a swarm of pyreflies started weaving in and out of the two. Their wails changed to high pitched, deafening screams and they became to take on a sanguine color pallet. They clustered together at the opposite end of the plane and soon transformed into the same dark shadows the two had viewed on the sphere screen earlier.

The shaded figures approached them. One stepped out in front of the group of three figures. Yuna and Rikku could just barely make out blue eyes and reddish hair beneath his hood. He gazed from one side of the plane to the other before letting his gaze fall on the two in front of him. "This world will be reconnected soon."

"Hey, just who are you, Mister Mysterious?" Rikku said, pointing a finger in the figure's direction. "And what's all this 'reconnected' business?"

"You'll find out soon enough." He motioned to two of the others and they approached Yuna and Rikku.

"Stay back!" Yuna ordered as she revealed her trusty Twin Bees. But the two figures didn't break step once. They each reached for the girls' shoulders and brought them face to face. Each one momentarily took on the face of the girl they held captive. It was just enough to throw the cousins off guard, making it easy for the two figures to drag them off the side of the plane. The two found themselves falling in the midst of a growing mass of screaming red light waves.

To be continued...

Things are about to get chaotic... Thanks for reading! Please review!


	2. Light: Sapphire

**A/N: **This story was written just as an attempt to do something slightly out of the norm from the traditional pairings and occurrences of most fan fiction. Don't misunderstand – most of my favorite stories are traditional pairings, but once in a while it's fun to change things around a bit. Enjoy this twist of fate and remember, Square-Enix owns the characters and the characters own you… for life, yo. Word.

**L**ight

**C**hapter **T**wo **_– Sapphire_**

♥

What a strange feeling, to be completely submerged in darkness. Not falling, not really floating, just sort of _existing_. And to feel so indifferent about the whole thing. Here Yuna felt herself drifting in this world of darkness. She felt so empty. It was as if she had meant to do something, but every time she tried to remember what it was she was going to do, it slipped away from her without a trace. _It's getting colder_, she mused. The thought didn't even worry her. It just seemed so matter of fact.

"Hey!"

…_What? …_

"Can you hear me? Hey! Wake up!"

The dark world was breaking down into swirls of gray and white. And suddenly it was very wet.

Yuna's eyes shot open as she sat up rapidly, shuddering at the coldness of the water. As her vision came into focus, she met two merry, emerald eyes twinkling back at her.

"I knew that would do the trick. Hey, are you feeling better now?"

"…I guess so…" Yuna replied slowly. She could now see that she had been ambushed by a young girl with chestnut hair that curled up at the ends. The girl peered down at her, water pail still in tow. Yuna searched around her. "Rikku?" She called.

The girl gasped. "You know Riku?" She jumped up and down excitedly. "Has he come home?"

Yuna stood up and dusted the sand from her legs. "He? I'm looking for my cousin, Rikku. _She_ was with me a few minutes ago."

The girl just shrugged. "Sorry, you're the only one I've seen around here… Well, except the others."

"…Others?"

The girl slapped her forehead and let out a small laugh. "Ah! I didn't introduce myself! I'm Selphie." The yellow-clad girl extended her hand and Yuna shook it.

"I'm Yuna." She replied with a smile.

"Wait here!" The girl cried. "I'll get the others!" She started off across a small wooden bridge and reached for a wooden door. "Oh! And don't eat the Paupu fruit! We're saving it!" She quickly disappeared behind the door.

Yuna stretched her thin arms over her head and took in the view. She seemed to be on a small, sandy plateau overlooking a crystal blue sea. The plateau was connected to the main part of a small island by a wooden bridge and the whole place was dotted with palm trees – some bearing coconuts and some bearing strange, star-shaped fruit. _What a beautiful place… This can't be the bottom of the Farplane…Where am I?_ She climbed down a ladder off to one side and jumped into the water. _This place reminds me of Besaid… _She waded out further into the sea and gazed out across the horizon. _I wonder…_

Meanwhile, Rikku had found herself perched precariously in a tree. Her eyes went wide as she realized the difference in height between herself and the ground. "AHHH! How the heck did I get up here? Oh… poopie…" She carefully swung her arms around either side of the palm tree trunk and scooted her was down. _So far so good. Keep goin', Rikku … _"AHH!" She crashed at the base of the tree. "Owwwie…" As she stood up and dusted herself off, she heard a familiar whistle. "Yunie?" She called. "Yunie, where are you?"

Yuna smirked to herself. _It was worth a shot_. Suddenly, she heard another kind of whistling sound – something hurling through the air. And before she knew it…

"OOoofff!" Something had assailed her head. She fell face first into the water and eventually shook herself out of shock, then made her way back to the surface. "What the heck?" Then she saw it. There, floating right in front of her, was a blitzball. She waded out and took hold of it. "…What's this doing here?"

"Heeeey! You mind tossing the ball back?"

_That… voice… _

"Hello? Hey, Miss? Can we have our ball back, please?"

Yuna could feel her whole body trembling. _It's just a coincidence… There's no way…_ She slowly turned around. A small, messy-haired figure in shorts was running towards her. His face slowly came into view. The resemblance, the voice, it was all so similar. In seconds, he was right at the shoreline, laughing blue eyes looking straight at her.

The boy raised his hands up, ready to catch the ball. "Here!" He called. Yuna willed herself to move, but she remained frozen, clutching the ball tightly. The boy scratched his head and waded into the water. Yuna's wide eyes remained fixed on him as he came within a foot of her and regarded her curiously. "What's your name?"

"…Y-Yuna…" She forced out.

He held out his hand. "C'mon. I'll help you to the shore."

Yuna nodded and clutched his smaller hand. Ordinarily, she would never have needed help in such a shallow expanse, but at the moment, all feeling in her legs had left her and she could feel her entire body going numb. All except for her mind, which seemed to be screaming for her body to regress by four years. Her heart was beating rapidly, its deafening boom echoing in her ears. _This must be a dream…_

Unaware of his charge's chaotic state of mind, the boy continued to make small talk. "I'm Tidus. I've been practicing a new shot and I can't seem to aim right yet. But that's okay. If I can't do it, no one can do it. I'm the best blitzer there is. Well, all except Wakka. He's as good as me… Well, sometimes I'll bet I'm better…"

"Wakka?" Yuna cried in surprise.

"Yeah," the boy replied. "That's him over there." The boy nodded towards a slightly taller boy on the shore who was waving at them.

"Heeeeey! What's uuup?"

_What's going on here?_ Yuna's mind screamed. _Calm down… There's got to be an explanation for all of this…_ The two reached the shoreline and Wakka ran up to meet them.

"Sorry 'bout dat. My frien' here is still kinda a newbie."

"Heeey!" Tidus piped up. "Who you callin' 'newbie'?"

"You, dat's who," Wakka replied. "We're both sorry for hittin' you."

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Tidus chimed in, scratching his head. Apparently it had slipped his mind.

"U-uhm… That's okay…" Yuna replied lamely.

"So, where you from?" Wakka asked, placing a hand on his hip.

"I-I'm from… Besaid…" She replied warily.

"Besaid, huh? Don't think I heard of it." The red-headed boy replied scratching his chin.

"They got blitzball?" The younger blonde boy asked excitedly.

"Yes, they do. Their team is the Besaid Aurochs." Yuna smiled slightly. _This is insane. It _has _to be a dream. I might as well play along until I wake up._ "In fact, I know the coach of the team personally."

"Seriously?" Tidus exclaimed.

"Uh huh," Yuna nodded, tossing the ball to him. "And I know the star player of the Zanarkand Abes, too."

"Wow… Lucky, ya?" Wakka replied, nudging Tidus with his elbow. The blonde nodded in return.

"YUNIE!"

Yuna turned to see Rikku careening towards the shoreline. She waved towards her. "There you are!"

Rikku was only a short distance away from the three when she caught sight of the two boys and stopped dead in her tracks. "Ohmygosh…ohmygosh, ohmygosh!" She cried, hands clasping the sides of her face. "Y-Yunie! Do you see what I see?"

Yuna nodded nonchalantly. "Rikku, this is Tidus and Wakka. Wakka? Tidus? This is my cousin, Rikku."

"Hey," the two greeted Rikku at the same time.

"H-hey…" Rikku replied, eyes still wide in shock.

Just then, Selphie ran down from the other side of the beach. "Guys! There you are!" She stopped in front of them, panting hard. "Well, I'm glad you've all met. It's time to head back to the village, guys." She added, addressing Tidus and Wakka.

"Awww… I wanna practice some more," Tidus whined.

Selphie shook her head. "Nope. It'll be dark soon. We need to head back right now."

"Eh… fine… Hey, next time you can tell us all about those blitzers!" Tidus exclaimed, turning towards Yuna.

"Sure," Yuna replied, nodding.

"See ya!" Selphie cried as she and the other two headed towards their boats.

Rikku just stared dumbfoundedly as Yuna waved goodbye. "Okay, didn't ANY of that freak you out? Just a little? Huh? Huh?"

Yuna laughed. "Rikku, this is just some weird dream. I mean, c'mon. A smaller version of Besaid – complete with a mini Tidus and a mini Wakka?"

Rikku sighed and pinched Yuna's arm.

"OW! Hey!... Oh no…"

Rikku nodded. "It's real."

"Real…" Yuna repeated. She wanted to cry or throw up or do something. Anything to make this madness stop. Nothing made sense anymore. She wanted to just collapse and shut her eyes tight and wish this whole situation away. _But I can't…_ The former summoner took a deep breath and shut her eyes tight. For a moment she listened only to the peaceful crashing of the nearby waves. Slowly, she opened her eyes and faced her cousin. "Let's find shelter. It'll be dark soon."

Rikku nodded. "That's the spirit, Yunie."

After trekking across the small island for a few minutes, they came upon what appeared to be a treehouse. The giant, hollowed out trunk could easily fit the two. They climbed up into it and let their bodies wearily fall to the floor. For a while, the only sound that could be heard was the wind softly dancing through the leaves.

"Ugh… Today really sucked…" Yuna said as she stared at the ceiling of the makeshift house.

"You said it." Rikku agreed. She looked over towards the brunette. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay." Yuna replied, smiling a little. "I probably should've expected something like this."

"What do you mean? How could you expect something crazy like this?"

"A fayth once said 'Our dream will disappear. We will give you a new sea to swim in.' It makes sense now. This is his new sea. It's a second chance at life. One where he won't have to worry about disappearing." She paused for a moment. "I'd rather know he was alive and well and didn't remember me than… you know…"

Rikku nodded. "But… How do you explain Wakka?"

Yuna thought for a moment. "Maechen once told me, 'Every person in the universe has a twin.' …But I never thought a twin could be _so_ similar."

"How do you know Tidus isn't just our Tidus's twin?" Rikku asked, placing her arms behind her head. "Wait… did that make sense?"

"I don't know for sure… But, he was really a dream. I don't think it works the same way with dreams…" She rolled over onto her side. "Let's get some sleep."

"'Kay… 'Night, Yunie."

"'Night…" She stared at the twisting patterns of the wood's grain. _I can't be selfish. Now I know he's all right. Maybe now I can learn to let go of him…_ She closed her eyes, a few crystal tears escaping down her cheeks.

A little while later, she could feel more wet droplets caressing her cheeks. "…Huh..?" She slowly opened her eyes and moved to look outside. The peaceful, summery weather had been replaced by a rather menacing storm. Large gusts of wind were throwing handfuls of the pouring rain into their wooden shelter. Yuna moved towards Rikku and began to shake her. "Rikku… Wake up."

"Ungh…"

"We need to find better shelter or we'll be drowned out."

Rikku reluctantly opened her eyes and sat up. Then she caught sight of the outside world. "Holy fayth! What the heck happened?"

"C'mon. Before it gets worse." The two carefully made their way down the slippery wooden stairs and began to search for a more convenient hide out. Luckily, they didn't have to look far.

"Yunie! In there!" Rikku called, pointing to an opening in a stone wall. The two scrambled into the small opening and closed the branches surrounding the opening behind them.

"It's so dark in here…" Yuna searched the ground in the dim light and found a few small branches at her feet. She cast a small fire spell on them and they quickly flared up. She and Rikku gathered more dry brush into the center of the cave and soon they had a nice fire going. Now that they were able to get a good look at the cave, they noticed that it was decorated with various drawings. One in particular caught Rikku's eye.

"Hey, look at this. Two people and…stars?"

"Those are Paupu fruit. They must be important. Selphie told me they were saving them for something." Yuna explained.

Rikku tilted her head at the drawing again. "…You sure they're not stars?..."

"Hey..." Yuna moved to the left of the drawing, noticing for the first time the wooden frame set into the stone. "What do you suppose this is?"

Rikku shrugged. "A door?" She pushed against it. "Kind of a stupid place for one, don't you think?" She began to kick it. "Stupid thing doesn't even work!" Yuna started to help her kick and beat against the immovable wood.

They became so caught up in opening the door that they didn't notice the thing vein of red smoke that began to encircle them.

"Let's get a running start and knock it down." Yuna suggested.

"You got it," Rikku replied.

Yuna counted to three and they both dashed towards the door. As they did red and black ringlets of smoke gathered at the center of the door. They couldn't make their legs stop running. They braced themselves for the impact…

…but it never came.

They were falling again.

To be continued...

Crazy-go-nuts, huh? I'm sure Rikku and Yuna are sick of all this falling-into-darkness business, so this will be the last time they have to... for now... But where do they end up and who will they meet next? You'll see... In the meantime, thanks for reading and please review!


	3. Light: Golden

**A/N: **This story was written just as an attempt to do something slightly out of the norm from the traditional pairings and occurrences of most fan fiction. Don't misunderstand – most of my favorite stories are traditional pairings, but once in a while it's fun to change things around a bit. Enjoy this twist of fate and remember, Square-Enix owns the characters and the characters own you… for life, yo. Word.

**L**ight

**C**hapter **T**hree **_– Golden_**

♥

CRASH! Pieces of shattered wood erupted in the air as the two made a rather ungraceful landing in a pile of old crates.

"R-Rikku?" Yuna called. She pulled a large piece of wood from on top of her and attempted to shakily stand up.

"Owwie…" Came a reply from nearby. "Today is the most uber-sucky day in the history of days. I officially proclaim it Supremely-Uber-Sucky Day."

"Is someone there?" Asked a male voice.

Rikku and Yuna peered out from the remnants of crates and were met by a pair of concerned brown eyes. "Good heavens. How did you get there?" The man rushed to the pile of rubble and helped the two to their feet. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you." Yuna replied as she continued to dust herself off.

"Where did you come from?" The white and blue clad man inquired.

"Uhmm… Actually, we're from a place called Spira." Yuna began.

"I don't suppose you've heard of it?" Rikku added.

"No, I'm afraid not." The man replied. "Although, I'm not surprised that you're outsiders. This place is made up of almost nothing but." Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "Perhaps Cid is acquainted with Spira. I'll find him right away." The man dashed inside a nearby building marked "Accessory Shop" with lightning speed.

Just as quickly, the peaceful silence was broken.

"WHAT THE &#(#& DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? WAKING A MAN UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! WHY AREN'T YOU WATCHING MY & SHOP?"

"But Cid!"

"AND WHAT THE &#(#& WAS THAT RACKET OUTSIDE?"

"That's what I'm trying to explain to you, &#(#&! We've got company!"

"…Well confound-it, you don't have to be so mean about it. Where are they?"

"Outside…"

Soon, Yuna and Rikku could hear footsteps. The door to the Accessory Shop swung open, revealing a gruff-looking blonde man in a nightshirt and cap. He walked towards the two. "So… You must be the newcomers. Name's Cid."

"…Twin…" Rikku mumbled in disbelief.

"What's that?" Cid asked.

"Uhh… I'm Rikku, sir." She replied quickly. "And this is my cousin, Yuna."

Yuna bowed to him. "Nice to meet you, sir."

Cid scratched his chin for a moment, then broke out into laughter. "Ah, stop it with this 'sir' business. Just plain ol' 'Cid' will do. Come on inside and we'll get you warmed up."

As Rikku and Yuna entered the shop, Cid gave them a quick tour. "Here's the main part of the shop. We sell only the finest battle accessories and we've got millions of 'em." He explained, motioning towards row after row of glass cabinetry. "We also do synthesis, but that section's been moved across the way. Bought an ol' closed restaurant from a feller a few months ago and fixed it up. The moogles like it better."

"Moogles?" Yuna asked, surprised. In Spira, moogles had thought to be extinct for centuries and were now mostly thought of as fairy tale characters.

"'Course," Cid continued. "They're the foremost experts on synthesis. Anyway, now that they're in their own place, I've got the upper level sectioned out for me and a couple others." He led them up the ladder that led to the top level. When they reached the top, he continued the tour. "That there's my room, over there's George's – he's the fella you met downstairs, and that's my best mechanic's room – he off runnin' an errand for me, but you'll meet him eventually. He's kinda rough around the edges and doesn't smile too much, but I can tell he's just a softie inside. And last, but not least, here's where you'll be stayin'." He motioned towards a set of stairs that extended into a small room at the very top. "It's a bit small, but it's the best I can do for now."

"Thank you, Cid." Yuna replied.

"Ah, don't mention it. I've found that the best things come from experiences like these. Why, take my mechanic for instance. He's an outsider, too. Best damn genius I ever met. We're workin' on a way to extend world to world travel." The two stared blankly at him. "Ah… I'll explain it all later. In the meantime, get some rest. Tomorrow I wanna hear all about your home world. And maybe we can figure out some odd jobs you can do, too."

♥

The next morning, Yuna awoke to find a pair of light-colored jeans and a dark pink tank top at the foot of her bed. She glanced over to the bed next to her and found that draped over it were also a pair of clothes – an orange halter top and dark jean shorts. She looked down at her present set of clothes. Her gunner top was practically in shreds. It seemed that everything that connected her with Spira was becoming unraveled. But, being a determined optimist, she shook off the thought and changed into her new ensemble. Then she decided she should wake Rikku up.

"Rikku…" She shook her a few times.

"Unnngghhh… Brother… Knock it off…"

"Rikku!" Shake, shake, shake.

"Ahhh! Okay! Okay! I'm up! Geez…" Rikku sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Quickly, she caught sight of just how tattered her own outfit had become. "Aaaawww… not my favorite one…"

"Hey, but look! Someone brought us new clothes." Yuna replied, handing her the shorts and top.

"Hmm…" Rikku looked them over a few times. "Good choice." As soon as she changed, the two girls made their way down the short stairs into the main part of the second floor. Cid and George's rooms were empty, but they could hear loud snoring from behind the closed third door. "Eh… Looks like the mechanic's back." Rikku offered with a shrug.

Downstairs, Cid greeted each of them with a plate of pancakes. As they sat on the black, leather seats across the way from a fireplace and ate, Cid informed them of their new jobs. "Seeing as we don't exactly have a way to get you two home just yet, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you need. But, while you're here, you gotta pull your weight."

"Sounds more than fair." Yuna agreed.

"Good," Cid replied. "Yuna, you'll be in charge of the shop from morning to late afternoon. George will take over then and cover part of the night until we close." Yuna nodded. "Rikku, you'll be assisting the moogles across the way. They can become a little testy at times, but don't let them give you any lip, got it?"

"Got it," Rikku agreed. "I've always wanted to try large-scale synthing." She added excitedly.

"Well, now that that's all settled, tell me about this world of yours."

So Yuna told him everything – about pilgrimages and the time of Sin, about the coming of the Eternal Calm and the rise of Vegnagun, and about the mysterious goings on at the Farplane. "And then we found ourselves on an island with a strange wooden door in a cave, and the next thing we knew-"

"We're zooming through the darkness and BOOM! Right into the wooden crates… owwie…" Rikku finished with emphasis.

"Y'know, I don't think I've ever heard of such a world before, but the name 'Spira' sounds familiar… But for the life of me, I can't figure out why. Must be gettin' old."

Upstairs, the three could hear a door opening and someone walking around.

"'Bout time that kid was up." Cid moved under the opening and called up. "Hey! We've got some visitors. Come down and meet them."

They heard a short grunt in reply.

"Tar-nation… I don't care if he don't like company, it's about time he started learnin' some manners." Cid quickly climbed upstairs and soon Yuna and Rikku could hear muffled arguing…

…which ended with Cid flinging the other person downstairs.

Yuna and Rikku sat perfectly frozen, eyes fixed on the person sprawled in their midst.

"Damnit, Cid, that hurt!"

They would know that voice anywhere, even when it lacked its usual cocky, warm tone.

Rikku found her voice first. "GIPPAL!" She and Yuna dashed off the couch and straight for the spikey-haired blonde. Gippal only had time to turn part of the way around before being pinned against the side of the counter by an orange and magenta blur.

"We thought you were dead…" Yuna forced out, clutching the Al Bhed tight.

Gippal had to blink a few times before he recognized the two figures clamped to him at either side, their warm tears streaming onto his neck, and embraced them back. "What are you two doing here?" He asked softly.

Cid climbed down and scratched his head at the sight. "What the…?"

Yuna looked up and smiled. "He's from Spira, too."

♥

It had been a tiring day. First finding out their long lost friend was still alive, then getting straight to work. Floods of customers came in for new accessories for their weapons. At first, Yuna's head was reeling from all the different types. _Firaga, Thundaga, Blizzaga, Gaia, how can they keep all these bangles straight?_ By the end of the day, she was beginning to memorize the names and traits of each one. Thankfully, her customers were patient with her. Many of them had been in her shoes – completely new and unaccustomed to the innovations of the world of Traverse Town. When her shift was over, Yuna gladly hung up her apron and stepped outside for some fresh air. The sun was just starting to dip in the sky.

Meanwhile, to say Rikku was elated would have been the understatement of the year. She quickly learned the names of all the synthing materials and was easily picking up the basics of synthesis. When the moogles decided she was ready for her first synth job, she nearly bounced out of her skin waiting for her first customer. Finally, a man came in asking for a Ribbon.

"YES, SIR!" She squealed excitedly. After taking the ingredients and putting them in their proper places in the machine, she flipped a large switch and in a matter of seconds, the Ribbon was complete. She shined it up and handed it to the man. "There ya go!"

"Thank you," The man replied with a smile.

"No, THANK YOU!" She cried, waving and jumping around excitedly.

Needless to say, the man quickly departed.

"Kupo, we're glad you're so happy with your job, Kupo, but please don't scare the customers…"

Outside, Yuna had climbed up to the top of the shop's roof and was watching the sunset. She had her arms wrapped around her knees and every so often let her chin become buried between her knees as she became lost in thought.

She almost didn't hear someone come up behind her.

"Hey, you're in my spot."

"Wha?" She turned around to see Gippal, smirking down at her. He had been out of practice for a long time, but his cocky laugh and smile were quickly returning to him.

He shrugged and sat down next to her. "It's okay, I like to come up here, too."

"Hn.."

He glanced over to her. "Something on your mind? I mean, other than me, of course." He quickly added with a grin. Yep, it was definitely coming back to him now.

Yuna smiled and raised her eyes towards the sky. "I was just… thinking. I wish there was some way I could let everyone know I'm all right. They probably think Rikku and I are… dead…"

"Hn… Serves them right." Gippal replied bluntly.

"Don't say that." Yuna replied, turning to look at him.

"They depend on you two way too much. First Sin, then Vegnagun, and now the Farplane? They can't keep running to the saviors of Spira every time something tall, dark, and ugly rears its face." He paused for a moment. "It's worse for you than it is Rikku."

"I don't mind it, really…" She mumbled, turning away.

"Do you even remember how old you are, Yuna? Nineteen. Not thirty, not forty. Only nineteen. Do you know what nineteen year olds usually do? They go dancing and hang out and do crazy things. They should never have to worry about the fate of their world. They've got their own little worlds to deal with. You deserve to have that, too."

"Well what about you? You've got a whole faction to look after. People our age don't usually do that, either."

"Good point. Actually, before I disappeared, I was talking to Cid about taking over for me for awhile."

Yuna nodded. "When the search was called off, he took your place." She said softly.

"Well, don't have to worry about that anymore," He said, stretching and placing his arms behind his head. He leaned back against the room and gazed up at the sky. "Don't worry… Every so often, there's a fluke in the Universe and things actually work out."

"Hn…"

For a moment, Gippal shifted uncomfortably and turned to face the silent brunette next to him. "Uh… Yuna… There's something I've been meaning to tell you. I'm not sure if you're going to like it, though…"

"If it's about Tidus, I've already seen him." She replied, looking back at him.

Gippal looked surprised. "Oh… Well… Okay then. Heh… You took that pretty well…"

Yuna laughed a little. "Eventually I did… But really, I'm happy he has his own life now. It hurt terribly at first, but, I'm so happy the fayth gave him another chance. He deserved it."

_Selfless to a fault_, the blonde thought. He sat up and moved closer to the former summoner and put an arm around her. "Y'know, they say true love only comes around once in a blue moon, but really, I think for really special people, it comes around twice. So… keep your chin up."

Yuna smiled softly and nodded. "Okay."

"Oh and… don't tell Rikku I said that. Stuff like that makes for good blackmail…"

Yuna laughed. "No problem."

"That's what you think…" A familiar voice replied.

"…Crap…" Gippal muttered. Suddenly, a pair of hands were ruffling up his hair.

"Awwww, Cid's right. You are just a big softy!" Rikku chirped.

"Gah, Rikku! Quit pawing at me, you monkey!"

"Hey! Who you callin' 'monkey', banana brain?"

Yuna just laughed. _Just like home._

To be continued...

Things are finally starting to look up for Yuna, the monkey, and the banana brain. Is Gippal right? Can Yuna really find true love twice? Do I sound like a soap opera person like I think I do? Well, maybe. But all will be revealed eventually. Until then, thanks for reading and don't forget to review!


	4. Light: Rose

**A/N: **This story was written just as an attempt to do something slightly out of the norm from the traditional pairings and occurrences of most fan fiction. Don't misunderstand – most of my favorite stories are traditional pairings, but once in a while it's fun to change things around a bit. Enjoy this twist of fate and remember, Square-Enix owns the characters and the characters own you… for life, yo. Word.

**L**ight

**C**hapter **F**our **_– Rose_**

♥

In the next few days, life began to fall into a simple pattern of work and rest. Yuna and Rikku woke early, got dressed and joined the others downstairs for a quick breakfast. Then, Rikku made her way to the Synth Shop and Yuna tied on her apron and started getting the Accessory Shop ready for the day's customers. George went outside to spend his leisure time before his shift (which was usually spent flirting with the innkeeper at the nearby tavern). Cid and Gippal would resume their places upstairs, mulling over plans for their latest and greatest inventions. Already, the two had made gummi travel more efficient and safer than ever. They didn't really discuss the full extent of their newest plans, but Yuna and Rikku were sure that whatever they entailed, the designs were much more involved than any of their other innovations.

Yuna was just finishing wiping up the counter when her first customer entered. "Good morning, Sir. What can I do for you?" She asked with a genuine smile.

"Have you got any Protect Chains?" The man asked.

"Certainly." She replied with a nod. She turned around and quickly scanned a nearby shelf. "Ah, here we are." She removed one and placed it on the counter. "That will be one hundred fifty gil." The man placed the gil on the counter and Yuna scooped it up and dropped it into the register. Then she put the receipt and the chain into a bag. "Here you are. Have a nice day."

"Thanks, you too." The man took the bag and walked out the door. "Hey, that new helper sure is something." He said to a friend passing by the store's entrance. "Much nicer than George."

"Hey, I heard that!" George cried nearby, stopping his conversation with the innkeeper for a moment.

_That was nice of him to say_, Yuna thought. She slowly swung her intertwined hands behind her.

"Having fun, shop girl?"

Yuna looked up to see Gippal's familiar smirk looking down at her from the second floor opening. "I am!" She replied grinning. "It's not as involved as spherehunting, but I think maybe that's why I like it. It's something simple for a change."

"Heh, now you look nineteen." He replied, nodding.

"Hey, blondie, get back to work. I ain't payin' you for your looks." Cid interrupted.

"Yeah, otherwise you'd owe me a fortune." Gippal called back. He turned back to Yuna and saluted her. "See ya, shop girl."

"Hey… keep your mind on this girl instead of that one." Cid said quietly, holding up a new blueprint for a gummi ship.

Gippal rolled his eyes. "That's the only girl I've got time for right now, don't worry."

"Heh… sure…" Cid replied, smirking.

"Whatever… You want this thing built or you wanna keep bugging me?"

"All right, all right. I'll be more careful next time I jump to conclusions." He scratched his chin. "Just strikes me as kind of odd. First time I met you, you didn't smile and people were sorta 'fraid of you. And now, it's like you're a completely different person. Go figure…" Cid replied and went back to work on his own set of plans.

Gippal just shrugged. _I'm just happy to see a familiar face again, that's all…Don't know why he has to make a mountain out of a molehill. _He glanced one more time over the edge, a smirk creeping over his face. …_Still…_

Meanwhile, Rikku was having her fair share of customers as well. People of all ages brought her strange substances they had found during their travels and she was more than happy to mix them into new items. Once the synthing process was complete, the excitement in the customers' faces seemed to mirror Rikku's bubbling enthusiasm. Her disposition was downright contagious. Even the moogles were bouncier than usual. She seemed to have an effect on everyone… except a tall, leather-clad man.

"I'll take a couple Elixirs." The man said simply and handed Rikku a bag of synthing items.

"Okie dokie," Rikku replied. "Comin' right up!" She took some of the different types of shards and began to place them in their proper slots in the machine. Then, she flipped the switch and…

SHHHHHUUUNNNK!

…The lights in the shop flickered and went out.

"Wha-What the heck happened?" Rikku demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"Great…" The man muttered, running a gloved hand over his face.

"Hey! Just give me a second, okay?" She replied, glaring at him.

"Hmph… whatever…" The man replied. He crossed his arms and began to lean against the wall.

"Ooooohh…" Rikku growled, "What's wrong with you, you big meanie?" She kicked the machine and it flickered for a moment. "All right… You wanna play rough? FINE!" She climbed on top of the machine and felt around in the darkness. "Aha! Here it i-OOF!" And flipped off the other side. After scrambling to her feet and dusting herself off, a strange glow seemed to emanate from the Al Bhed's eyes. "I need 'Betsy'."

The man raised an eyebrow, incredulousness mixing with indifference in his gaze.

"You," Rikku said evenly, pointing straight at him. "Don't even think about budging from that spot. I'll be right back." With that, she stormed off towards the Accessory Shop.

Yuna could hear someone stomping closer and closer. _What in the world…?_ Suddenly, Rikku emerged from the doorway.

"Where is he?" Her eyes swelled with hate and resolution.

"…Who?" Yuna asked, supremely confused.

Just a moment later, Gippal poked his head out to see what the cause of all the stomping was and locked eyes with Rikku. "…Uh oh…"

Rikku raced towards the ladder with more alacrity than any jungle cat in history and came face to face with the blonde man. "Where is 'Betsy'?"

Gippal's eyes narrowed. "You _lost_ 'Betsy', remember?"

Rikku's eyes reverted to their natural green for a second. "I did? OH! Oh… Well, anyway-" Back to a dangerous glow – "WHERE IS 'BETSY II', THEN?"

Gippal sighed. "Promise you won't lose her?"

"Yes, yes, now GIMMIE!"

Gippal rolled his eyes. "All right, one sec." He disappeared for a moment and came back with a simple wrench. "Here," He said, handing it over to the crazed blonde. "Knock yourself out."

"HAH!" Rikku cried and careened out the door.

Yuna and Gippal walked out to the doorway and looked across the way at the Synth Shop. They could hear Rikku's maniacal laughter and see sparks flying in the window. Then, suddenly, the lights turned back on.

"HAH! I OWN YOU! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Wow…" Yuna mumbled.

"Sucks to be you," Gippal said with a shrug.

"Why?"

"At least I'm not related." He replied with a smug grin.

"I'd rather be related to a crazy person than be in the habit of naming my tools." Yuna replied, mimicking Gippal's usual smirk.

"Ohhh… touché, milady." He shook his head. "I think I'm starting to rub off on you."

"Fayth forbid!" The brunette replied, feigning dread.

_Heh… It's nice to see her cut loose for a change._

"Uh… Gippal?"

"…Huh?"

"Are you okay? You had the strangest look on your face just now…" Yuna replied. Her dual-toned eyes were still brimming with laughter.

"Ah, well..." Gippal began, scratching the back of his neck. Suddenly his stomach growled. _Crap…_

Yuna giggled. "Ah, that explains it. C'mon. Let's grab Rikku and go get something to eat."

♥

"Told ya." Rikku said, handing the man his Elixirs.

"Thanks." He started to head for the door, then stopped and slowly turned around. "Hey, uhh…"

"Rikku," The Al Bhed replied.

"Rikku… Do you also do weapons?" He lifted up a gunblade etched with a carefully drawn lion. It looked like it had seen many years of combat.

"…Eessh… What happened to it?" Rikku asked, inspecting it.

"I uh… met up with an old rival and…" _Wait… Why am I telling her this? Does she really need to know? _"Well, can you fix it or not?"

"Hah, piece of cake." Rikku replied with a wave of her hand. "I can get it back to you in... oh… one week tops." Rikku continued with a smile. "I'll have it in tip-top shape. I guarantee it, Mister…uhh…"

"Leon." The man replied. "One week then." He turned and made his way out the door with Rikku watching his every move.

♥

"A whole week?" Gippal almost choked on his pot roast. "That's like an eternity! Something like that should only take you two days tops!"

"Shhh!" Rikku's eyes darted around the small restaurant. "_You_ know that and _I_ know that, but _he_ doesn't know that… I don't think so anyway…" A coy smile crept across her lips. "A week should be just enough time for me to do a little investigative work."

Gippal rolled his eyes. "Cid would be so proud to know he'd raised a stalker."

"Heeeey… I'm not 'stalking'… I'm… admiring from afar…sorta. Well, if you'd seen him, you'd probably wanna stalk him, too!"

"That good?" Yuna asked.

"Ohhh, Yunie, he was so gorgeous!" Rikku squealed.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" Gippal moaned.

"Quiet, you!" Rikku commanded. "Anyway, he had the most beautiful icy blue eyes and his hair! Long and chocolaty…"

"Is this a man or a dessert?" Gippal quipped.

"Jealous?" Yuna asked with a mischievous grin.

"Nah," Gippal replied. "I prefer to be a man than a dessert."

"Ugh…" Rikku rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

"I prefer 'irresistible'." The trademark Gippal grin was firmly in place.

Suddenly, Rikku's eyes went wide as she noticed someone enter the restaurant. "…I-It's him!" She whispered. She quickly held up a menu to conceal her face. "What's happening? Where is he?" Rikku asked frantically.

Yuna glanced over at him from the corner of her eye. "He's being seated in the corner of the room. He's facing the window. His back is turned towards you now."

"Whew…" Rikku breathed as she removed the menu.

"You were right," Her cousin said, grinning at her. "He _is_ pretty hot."

"Eh… If you like that chocolaty sort of thing…" Gippal mused, sending miniature death glares at the man.

"Hey, what's wrong with 'chocolaty'?" Yuna asked, holding up a strand of her own brown hair.

"Nothing…" Gippal replied softly. He had a sort of far off look in his eye for a moment, and mentally shook himself out of it. "Uh… I mean, I guess I could make an exception just this once." He finished with a cocky air before turning his attention back to his plate. _Damn you, Cid! I do NOT have the hots for the High Summoner! Damn power of suggestion! I'm just going to finish my pot roast and keep my mouth shut! _He began to inhale his food at lightning speed.

"Woah there, Gippy… Take your time." Rikku said. She slowly turned in Leon's direction. "No one's in a rush." She added dreamily.

Just then, a brunette woman wearing a long pink dress came towards them. She had a large envelope in her arms. "Ah, I'm glad you're here, Gippal."

Gippal immediately stopped shoveling his food and quickly wiped his mouth before turning to the newcomer. "Hey, Aerith." He greeted warmly. "More documents?"

The woman nodded, sending her long, twisted ponytail swinging. "Everything that Cid asked for. I checked them over twice more last night."

"Thanks," he replied, taking the envelope. "This oughta put him in a good mood for awhile."

Aerith nodded and turned her attention to the other two. "You must be Yuna and Rikku." She said, smiling. Their expressions immediately read _How did you know?_ Aerith laughed. "Cid called me one morning with a 'major crisis'. 'I know everything there is to know about gummi ships, but anything about girls is completely over my head.'" She said, mimicking his gruff voice.

"Oh, so you're the one we have to thank for our clothes." Yuna replied.

"My friend Yuffie and I ransacked a store right as it opened. We're always up early so we can get things ready here. In fact…" She turned to look back at the kitchen. "I should probably get back and make sure Yuffie isn't trying to add hot sauce to anything. Not many people enjoy as much of a kick to their food as she does. It was nice meeting you." She waved goodbye and made her way back.

Yuna looked down at her watch. "We should leave pretty soon. It's getting late."

"Aww… just a little longer?" Rikku pleaded, eyes still fixed on a particular corner.

"I'm not waiting here all night just so you can make eyes at that guy." Gippal muttered.

"It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it," Rikku replied with a grin. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "What?"

"…I guess he _does_ have somebody to do it." Yuna said, equally surprised.

A blonde man wearing a long, gray trench coat had seated himself across the way from the leather-jacketed man and was now stealing bits of food from his plate. Leon scowled back at him, which made the blonde smirk in satisfaction. "You don't usually mind it when I steal your food."

"You're not usually late." The brunette replied, still fixing him with an icy gaze.

"Sorry." The man replied as he ripped off a piece of the brunette's roll. "I promise I'll make it up to you." He added with a wink.

Leon's face flushed. "Seifer!" He whispered furiously.

"Tch, not now. Later on you can yell my name all you want." Seifer replied suggestively. Leon turned sixteen more shades of red.

"Awwww…" Rikku put her head in her folded arms. "Why are all the hot ones gay?"

"Not _all_ of them…" Gippal began.

"You're right. The rest are all taken." She added. "Or dead. Uuuugghhh…"

Yuna laughed. "We've just barely started exploring this place, Rikku. Don't give up just yet."

Rikku sighed. "You're right, Yunie." Suddenly, she perked up. "Heeey… I heard there's a new tournament coming up in a month. There ought to be a lot of cute guys there." She rubbed her hands together excitedly.

"Hoo boy…" Gippal mumbled.

"Aww, don't worry, Gippy." She replied, patting him on the back. "We'll find you one, too."

♥

Later on that evening, Traverse Town was completely silent. The lamplights flickered softly in the darkness and the sky was perfectly clear. Gippal was laid back on the roof, arms folded behind his head, gazing up at the glistening stars. He had grown to be fond of the small town, but he longed to go traveling like he had when he was in Spira. With an armada of airships at his beck and call, he could go anywhere he wanted at anytime he pleased. And he often did. But now he was pretty much stuck between the small town and on rare occasions, The Coliseum. After so long, it was beginning to drive him crazy. He closed his eyes and images of the new gummi ship flooded his mind. He could almost picture himself at the helm, an endless sea of worlds spread out before him. _Where to first? Maybe one of those cliché tropical paradises. Yeah…_

(Gippal was relaxing in the same position, but this time on a white, sandy beach. A warm breeze was gently wafting through the air and he could smell the faint scent of the native flowers. The only sound he could hear was the waves gently crashing. _Ah… perfect. _Then, suddenly, the peace was broken by a splash and Gippal could feel a light mist spraying over him. He raised himself on his elbows and looked out across the sea, just in time to see a familiar brunette rise to the surface to catch her breath. She shaded her eyes against the sun and waved with her other hand. He just stared dumbly at her. She started to laugh and motioned for him to come into the water. _Mmm…yeah…No!_)

_Gah! What the hell is wrong with me? _He could feel his heart beating unusually quick. _It's probably just the stress of the new ship starting to get to me. _He wiped his hand down his face and rested it against his now-relaxing heartbeat. _Still… No one can blame me for looking, right? _A smirk curled across his lips. _She's not exactly "cutesy" hot, but she's not "sultry" hot either. Just… kinda in the middle. I saw it the first time I saw her face to face._

("Neeever been this close to a celebrity before." Gippal had never seen such exotic eyes before. They just stared nervously back at him.

"T-that's nice." The famed savior of Spira – the one who helped defeat the undefeatable Sin – was shyly averting her gaze from him.

"I could get used to this.")

_I really could get used to it. But… I don't think Spira could. _

_The Machine Faction Leader and the Al Bhed Princess – _that _they could easily get used to. It's like a perfect little fairytale. …Except that neither of us feels _that_ way about the other. But the Faction Leader and the unanimously-declared Sweetheart of Spira? They would _explode_. And even if by some miracle they were just peachy about the whole thing, I'd still have to match up against a ghost. Well… a little kid I guess now… nah, "ghost" doesn't make me sound like such a loser. It's been more than two years now. Is she really, truly over him? I can't tell…_He let out a long sigh. _Gippal, you're pathetic._ He narrowed his eyes and stomped his foot against the roof.

"Gippal? Is that you?" A moment later, Yuna appeared and climbed up beside him. Meanwhile, Gippal had quickly scrambled to a sitting position.

"Uh… Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." He said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

Yuna shook her head as she smoothed out her pajama pants. "Don't worry, I couldn't really sleep, myself. I'm so excited about the tournament."

Gippal had to fight off a frown. "Don't tell me; you're looking forward to all the 'cute guys', too, right?"

Yuna laughed. "Actually, I've been itching for a good fight. Spira's been so quiet since Vegnagun. It was… a little boring. That's part of the reason why I decided to investigate the Farplane," She admitted. "…If only I had my Twin Bees." She added with a sigh.

"You seemed to use them a lot."

"My weapons of choice," Yuna replied with a grin. "Smooth handling, good range, quick response… ugh… I doubt I'll ever find anything that even comes close."

Gippal grinned. "Well… actually, I helped draw up the plans for them. I think I might still remember them pretty well, too." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe make them even better…" He trailed off.

"Really?" Yuna's eyes glowed with excitement at the prospect of having her beloved weapons back.

"Eh, sure." Gippal replied with a lazy wave of his hand. "I could use the practice for when I build the new gummi ship's artillery."

Yuna glomped (and nearly choked) him. "Thank you so much!"

"No problem," Gippal forced out with a chuckle.

Yuna released her iron grip and gazed up at the stars. "It'll be so exciting to battle again."

To be continued…

Hah… Had you going for a minute there, didn't it? I could've tried to make a believable Rikku x Leon relationship, but it would have taken a LOT of time and effort to do so. And as much as I like trying out random relationships, I honestly can't see that one even getting off the ground (plus I'm a HUGE S x S fan! X3). So yeah… I hope the whole introspective Gippal part wasn't annoying. I haven't had much practice writing things like that. Heh… Yuna's ready for a good fight, but will she be prepared when it comes? You'll just have to wait till the next chapter… Until then, please review!

THANKS, JEN AND LOLO FOR BEING MY FIRST REVIEWERS! I LOVE YOU BOTH! XD


	5. Light: Moon

**A/N: **This story was written just as an attempt to do something slightly out of the norm from the traditional pairings and occurrences of most fan fiction. Don't misunderstand – most of my favorite stories are traditional pairings, but once in a while it's fun to change things around a bit. Enjoy this twist of fate and remember, Square-Enix owns the characters and the characters own you… for life, yo. Word.

**Also, please note that I will be moving this story to the Final Fantasy X-2 section for chapter six (since it mostly deals with the characters from FFX-2), so look for it there.**

**L**ight

**C**hapter **F**ive **_– Moon_**

♥

After that night on the rooftop, Gippal was convinced. He didn't care anymore what a world who-knows-how-far away would think or if he had to prove himself against a memory. He didn't want that night to be the only time he would feel those thin, soft arms around him and he needed more than just the split second he had to completely breathe in her scent. After that moment, he wanted to be entirely lost in everything that was her. So Cid had been right. So what? By some miracle, he was usually right about most things. And sure, once they were a couple, Gippal would have to endure a week or two of I-told-you's and I-knew-it's and the like. He was more than willing to put up with it.

But there was still the whole problem of becoming a couple in the first place. Before, getting any girl he wanted was a simple matter. They came to him, he accepted, they were happy, he was happy. Easy. But now… How was he going to do it the old fashioned way?

And somewhere in the back of his mind, there was a little nagging feeling that reminded him that there was always the chance that she would refuse. And that made him slightly nervous. Not because he was afraid of being embarrassed, but because he had a strong feeling that having her in his life would be something really good for him.

And if life had taught him anything, it was that good things in life were very hard to come by. And unfortunately, bad things – like losing an eye in a freak machina accident or being dragged out of your world and into a foreign one – were much more commonplace.

He figured that the best way to go about it was to start slow. While living in Spira, he had been… well… a ladies man. Abso-posi-you-better-believe-it. And although upon entering Traverse Town, he had quickly abandoned all such ways in favor of his survival instincts, he was afraid his past behavior might be more memorable than his present. So that ruled out any big-time flirting or random dates with the first person he came across that day. That was easy enough, because he didn't have time for anything like that anyway with all the work that needed to be done with the new gummi ship. Especially when he and Cid were so close to finalizing the plans.

But what else? What was it that had Yuna searching for two years for her first love? He didn't really know a lot about Tidus other than he had been one of Spira's finest blitzers and had served as one of Yuna's guardians during her pilgrimage. Ah… perhaps that was it. While she was watching Spira's back, he was watching hers. Someone who worried about her well-being first while she worried about the world's. That would definitely take some time to prove. But one look into her mesmerizing eyes and he knew it would be time well spent.

♥

One morning, just a few days before the two weeks of training for the tournament were to begin, Cid announced that it was "Stocking Day." He explained that in the next few days, people from all over the universe would be arriving at the Accessory Shop to purchase new ability chains for their weapons.

"It's complete chaos," he continued. "Most of these muscle-headed morons wait till the last minute to buy their accessories, so we're swamped all day and night. So on the downside, we won't get much sleep, but on the upside, we'll really rake in the dough! But, before we can rake in anything, we've got to have enough stuff to sell! So Gippal, Yuna, Rikku, you'll be heading to Merlin's place. He'll have about five thousand of each of the elemental accessories and three thousand of the protection accessories. Bring 'em back here and stack 'em over the fireplace. Heh, when we're through, we'll be lucky if we have room to walk!"

♥

"Did you see the way his face lit up?" Rikku asked her two companions as they neared the gate leading to the Third District. "You'd think it was Christmas or something!"

"Just like your old man and new machina." Gippal added.

"I wish we had a machina to help us carry those accessories." Yuna mused.

"We won't even need to break a sweat," Gippal replied. "You'll see." He opened the large wooden doors that separated the two districts and led the way, nodding hello the entrance's guards in the process.

A few months after the arrival of more powerful heartless from Hollow Bastion, guards had begun to be posted at the entrance, middle, and exit of the Second and Third District. Each set of guards wore crimson-colored uniforms with the Traverse Town seal on the sleeve and they carried enormously powerful weapons. Since their employment, the heartless had learned to stay away while the guards were on duty. They were even afraid to attack during the five minute periods when the guards changed members and weren't even on the streets.

Gippal, Yuna, and Rikku made their way around a corner and found themselves face to face with a small wooden door with a gleaming fire symbol.

"This is it," Gippal explained. "Follow me."

The door opened automatically and the three walked into the dimly lit expanse. Ahead of them, they could see large stepping stones swaying back and forth in a shallow pool of water. Just beyond that stood a small, odd-looking cottage. The three hopped, skipped, and jumped across the stones and made their way up the steps that led to the run-down dwelling.

Yuna was just about to knock on the front door when Gippal signaled the two to follow him around the side. "This way." Soon they came upon a large green cloth that was covering a hole in the side of the building, and stepped inside.

"Ah, you're right on time." A tall old man dressed in periwinkle greeted them. He pulled his long beard in thought as he examined the room. "Let me see… Where did I put them… Aha!" He made his way over to a cupboard and opened the mahogany doors, revealing box after box of accessories. "Now, let's see… that incantation…uhmmm…"

"Incantation?" Yuna whispered.

"Yep, we're gonna fly these babies out of here." Gippal replied.

"Ah! Now I recall… Just say 'Higitus Figitus Movitus Thusitus' and they'll follow you anywhere you want them to." Merlin explained. Then he faced the boxes. "Attention! You will do exactly as they say and I don't want to hear about the slightest bit of funny business, is that clear?" To Yuna and Rikku's amazement, the boxes began to shudder… almost nervously. "Good, then off you go!" He waved his hands and the boxes began to glide from the cupboard and hover near the three. "Should you need any more in the next days, I shall leave a small, hidden supply just outside my door. Say the words 'Open Says Me' and the box shall appear. Oh, and tell Cid thank you for the new books. These are quite rare, indeed."

The three began to say the incantation over and over and to Yuna and Rikku's surprise, the boxes obeyed. Rikku was having so much fun, she began to skip and dance around as she guided the accessories, which in turn caused Yuna to follow suit, and Gippal to roll his eyes good-naturedly about the whole thing. Of course in all honesty, the first time he had done it, he had been just as excited. Soon they had the boxes stacking themselves neatly on top of the fireplace and the job was done.

"Aww… I wanna do that again!" Rikku said cheerily.

"Me too!" Yuna agreed.

"No time now," said Gippal. "We'll have customers in here in a few minutes. Just the normal crowd today. Tomorrow's when the real chaos starts."

♥

For the hours that followed, while Yuna and Rikku were busy with their work, Gippal was upstairs working on the gummi ship plans feverishly. A particularly disturbing thought had crossed his mind when Yuna's first customers of the day arrived. Most of them were young men – young, admittedly somewhat good-looking men. All of them would be in Yuna's midst when the training season began and suppose one or two or more of them noticed how wonderful Yuna was? And… suppose that she thought them to be equally wonderful? She could feasibly forget about Gippal and then where would he be? He had to enter the tournament, too. And to do that, he had to finish the plans as soon as possible.

He worked on and on without even the tiniest break for lunch or a late afternoon snack and would have kept on working had he not been interrupted by a pair of twinkling green eyes.

"Hey, Gip, let's go grab some dinner!" Rikku chirped. She surprised the other Al Bhed so much he jumped.

"Geez, Rikku. What're you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?"

"Just hurry up. I'm starving!"

For the first time in a few hours, Gippal realized that he was, too. In fact, he would probably eat any restaurant out of house and home at this point. "Uhhh… nah, you go ahead." He reluctantly replied. "I can't afford to lose my place – erm… or all my calculations could wind up off."

"Oookay…" answered Rikku. "If you're sure… You do know it's Lasagna Night, right?"

_Lasagna… mmmm…_ "Uhhh… That's okay, I'll catch it next time." Gippal said, waving his hand.

"Okie dokie," Rikku replied with a shrug. She made her way downstairs and soon she and Yuna were out the door.

Gippal sighed. _She better appreciate the fact that I'm missing lasagna for her…_

♥

About an hour later, a delicious aroma filled the air and Gippal could feel someone shaking his shoulder gently.

"Giiiiiippppppyyyyy…. We've got something for you…"

"Unnghh… wha…" He slowly opened his eyes to see Yuna and Rikku peering down at him, food in hand.

"Here," said Yuna as she handed him a carton of lasagna. "You must be starving by now."

Gippal sat straight up and started to inhale the delicious concoction as Rikku set a soda down next to him. "'Night, Gippal." She said, giggling, and she and Yuna headed for their room.

A few minutes later, Gippal had completely cleaned out the container and was staring once more at the plans as he sipped his soda. His vision was starting to get a little blurry, but he figured it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Some hours later, he couldn't keep his focus straight. The floorboards looked like they were swirling and the walls seemed to bow in and out. His eyelids were now terribly heavy and it wasn't long before he finally, though reluctantly, gave in to sleep.

A half an hour later, Yuna woke up. Being the type of person who was always concerned for her friends' wellbeing, the idea of Gippal working himself into exhaustion didn't set right with her at all. She had seen him work hard for long periods of time before, but nothing like this. She got up and crept outside only to find him on the floor, snoring in the midst of a heap of papers. _He can't stay like that or he's going to be sore in the morning_, Yuna thought. She glanced over at his nearby room. _At least it's not that far…_

She flipped the Al Bhed onto his back and slid her arms under his and around his chest. Then, carefully, she began to drag him into his room. After a few tries, she got half of his body onto the bed and ran around to the other side of the bed to continue to move him. Once that was done, she stepped back and admired her work. _Whew!_

But then there was another predicament. He couldn't sleep in his clothes. His clunky attire was convenient for carrying tools or protecting himself against metal, but definitely not for sleeping in. Yuna rubbed the back of her neck in thought. First she managed to unbuckle and remove his shoes without him so much as stirring and then she took off his gloves.

But then… there were his pants. _Well… he _is _asleep…And… it's not like I'm trying to do anything but help him be more comfortable…Ugh… even that didn't sound quite right… _She shook her head. _This is silly. I'm a grown woman and he's a man in uncomfortable pants. _She unbuckled his belt, but couldn't bring herself to slip off his pants. It just wasn't really "proper." So, she tugged and pulled at his bed sheet and managed to get it out from under him. She covered him up, and turned her head before pulling off his pants. That, at least, seemed a bit more proper. (Although, the fact that she had almost pulled off his boxers along with the pants had her cheeks a nice bright pink at the moment.)

Now all that was left was his shirt and that, in her mind, didn't require being proper about. She sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully unlatched the straps that went along his chest and unzipped his shirt. The brunette let out a muffled gasp when she saw what was underneath. _…Holy fayth…_ Not even Tidus had had quite as defined of a stomach. Mentally scolding herself for acting so childish, she brought his arms up and slipped the sleeves off. After a little searching, she found a white tank top he used as a nightshirt and carefully slipped his head and arms in. She didn't, however, notice his arms coming down until they were halfway encircling her. She turned to move away from the bed, but it was too late. The Al Bhed's muscular, tan arms were gently locked around her waist, pulling her down onto the bed. She could feel him nuzzling into her neck. His warm breath sent shivers down her spine. _Oh crap! If he wakes up I'm never going to hear the end of this – from him OR Rikku! Ooohh… this is the last time I try to help anyone ever again! _She thought worriedly. She tried to carefully pry herself out of Gippal's grasp, but she couldn't move. Worse yet, the gentle pattern of his warm breath against her skin was beginning to make her sleepy. Eventually, it managed to overpower her frantic thoughts. _I just need to calm down,_ Yuna thought. The warm body behind her felt so comfortable and his arms around her made her feel so safe. The thought of all this of course made her cheeks tint again, but it quickly faded as she gave in to temptation. _Just a couple of minutes couldn't hurt. _As if knowing, the arms drew her in a little closer and she closed her eyes. _Just a few minutes…_

♥

A few hours later, Yuna woke up to a tickling sensation at the nape of her neck. Gippal's face was now buried in her hair, and the little spurts of his breath were threatening to make her giggle. Luckily, his arms were now simply draped around her, so that she carefully slipped her way out and off of his bed. _Whew… that was close…_Then something caught her eye. The material of her long, tied ponytail had imprinted the right side of Gippal's face. She inwardly gasped. _Ahh! Okay… think, Yuna, think!_ _Uhhh…_ She looked around the room frantically until her gaze fell on one of his gloves. The straps were made of a material similar to her ponytail covering. She placed it on the side of his pillow and prayed it would be convincing enough. Then she dashed back to her room and dived into bed. _What a night…_

Twenty minutes later, Gippal started to wake up. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well. As he wiped the sleep from his eyes, he felt the fading imprint at the side of his face. _Huh…_ Then he noticed the nearby glove. _Oh…Wait a second…_He quickly noticed that he was out of his clothes _and_ in his bed. _When did I?... Weird…_He decided he had just been so exhausted he simply didn't remember. Either that, or his dream had made him forget.

Ah… It was the most glorious dream in the history of dreams… to him, at least. He had loved every moment of it. Holding her so close, his lips being close enough to taste the creamy skin of her neck, but not following through. Just resting peacefully with her and being enveloped in her scent – like an early morning's breeze on Besaid – a faint trace of sun-kissed wildflowers mingled with the ocean mist. He sat up and stretched… and then he noticed… there was a faint imprint next to him…

…as if someone else had been sleeping there…

…and it was still a little warm…

Gippal's eyes went wide and then he shook his head. _No, you jackass, it was just a dream… But... then again…_

He had to know for sure. He got up and crept out of his room, eyes darting around to make sure no one else was up yet. Then he made his way as silently as possible up towards the very top room.

Meanwhile, Yuna had heard him walking around in his room and was now trying not to panic. _Crap! What do I do now? Think!_ She glanced over at Rikku. How she envied her at the moment! Snoring away peacefully while… _…snoring…THAT'S IT!_ Yuna pulled her covers up close to her neck and threw her pillow over her head. She lazily grasped it with one arm and let the other hang loosely over the edge of the bed, so that it looked like she was trying to drown out the noise of her cousin. _Another close call, _she thought, and it truly was, because just a second later, Gippal turned the knob of their door and tip-toed inside.

_There she is…_He started to creep closer to her when something else caught his attention – Rikku's snoring. He slowly made his way over to the blonde's bed and stared at her in amazement. How could so much noise be coming out of one person? He glanced back at Yuna's "sleeping" form. No wonder she had that pillow over her head. Then he began to wonder if she could breathe all right from under there and started to walk over towards her when suddenly…

CREEAAAK

…he decided to stand perfectly still and prayed the two girls wouldn't wake up. Rikku just continued to snore and Yuna barely moved a muscle. Gippal breathed a tiny sigh of relief and decided to leave before anything else tried to make his presence known. He closed the door softly behind him and made his way back to his room.

After a minute or two, Yuna cautiously sat up and breathed her own sigh of relief before flopping back against her pillow. _It's too early for all this!_

♥

The following day, as predicted, was complete and utter chaos. Early on, a line had formed that led outside the shop and around the corner. Customers were let in five at a time to make their purchases and once they were let out, five more came in. Gippal, Yuna, and Rikku took the first shift, while Cid and George slept so they would be wide awake for their later shift.

Gippal eyed the line contemptuously. _How hard is it to plan ahead? …Losers…_ Really, though, it wasn't the fact that they had waited until the last moment (because he was often in the habit of doing just that), but the fact that when they came in to make their purchases, they took one look at Rikku and Yuna and a soft dreaminess swept into their eyes. So, Gippal made it a point to rush everyone in and out as fast as possible.

"Geez, Gippal, you don't have to be so rude about it," Rikku whispered to him with annoyance.

"Hey, there's a ton of people waiting out there, so I've gotta' make sure the line keeps moving." He replied evenly. _That's right, keep movin', bozos…_

By the end of their shift, they were thoroughly worn out. Their muscles ached from reaching for items and their legs were becoming jellified from running around all day. Once Cid and George were ready, the three made their way out the door.

When they came back from dinner, their jaws nearly dropped. The line was at least three times as long as it had been before. Once inside, they found that Cid and George were up busily at work filling orders.

"Should we help them?" Rikku asked her companions.

"We need to get some rest," Gippal replied. "Tomorrow's crowd will be much, much worse."

♥

Gippal was completely right. Before the shop had opened its doors, the line to get in was already winding around the shop twice. Yuna and Rikku peered out of their window and groaned.

"At least it's just one more day… right?" Yuna said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Yeah… right…" Rikku agreed solemnly.

Yuna, Gippal, and Rikku's shift was like a blur. They mechanically moved through the familiar actions of the prior day, pleading with their muscles to keep going for a few minutes more and then a few minutes more still.

When they came back from dinner, the line was unfathomably long and the three knew there was no way that Cid and George could take care of the crowd all by themselves.

"Good thing we loaded up on coffee…" Rikku mused.

♥

It was nearly midnight and although the shop was supposed to be closed, the crowd would not rest without their accessories. The line had begun to dwindle down, but the five workers inside were still busier than ever. The five people at a time rule had been abolished by a unanimous crowd decision, so the inside of the shop was extremely noisy and warm from the heat of the bodies packed into one space.

Yuna barely heard George even though he was right next to her. "Yuna! We need that extra box! Can you go to Third District and get it?" He tried to yell above the crowd.

"Okay!" Yuna yelled back. She was more than willing to get outside for a breath of fresh air.

Meanwhile, the guards inside the Third District were changing members.

"I've come to take your place." A blonde told the set of entrance guards. Most of her hair was slicked down and only two bangs fell slightly angled at the top of her head. She smiled at the confused mass before her.

"Just you? Where are the others?" One of the guards asked.

"Not to worry, I can handle it on my own. I'm fully armed. Besides, it's a quiet night." The woman replied.

"Well… I guess it's all right." The guard replied. He and the others gathered their weapons and left.

As soon as they were completely out of sight, a dark-cloaked figure appeared next to the woman. "Excellent work, Larxene."

She shrugged indifferently. "Child's play." A wicked grin graced her lips. "She is the heart of her world. Already, her people are in a panic over her disappearance." She placed a hand on her hip. "She won't have the chance to return and reunite her people again. With her out of the way, we can easily take over Spira. Those fools' memories should be particularly easy to control."

"Carry on then." The figure replied and disappeared a moment later. Larxene took one last glance around at the peaceful surroundings and made her way to the top of a nearby building's roof.

At the same time, Yuna had finally managed to squeeze her way through the crowd and was now at the large, wooden doors that led to the Third District. Upon entering, she noticed that the guards were missing, but shrugged it off. _They'll be back in a few minutes. _She could see the fire emblem door up ahead. _"Open Says Me"… I got it._ But a strange noise stopped her short.

FWOOM!

She turned around just in time to see a large, maroon-colored, dragon-like creature dart past her. _A heartless?_ "Guards!" She called out, darting out of the way again. She quickly glanced around. There didn't seem to be anyone else in the entire district. _I could really use my Twin Bees right about now._ No weapons, no dresspheres, not even a rod or ring to help her. She knew all she could do at this point was cast very basic elemental and white magic. Even those wouldn't be of much use because without a rod, it was hard to aim elemental magic properly. But that wasn't going to stop her.

As the creature came spinning down towards her, she cast fire and moved to the side. The blaze barely scorched the heartless. It came back at her again, this time attempting to scratch her with its claws. She cast thunder and darted the other way. This seemed to have a slightly greater effect, but not by much. She continued to cast thunder as she ran back towards the wooden doors. By this time, however, the heartless had figured she couldn't do anything more damaging and decided a few stings of electricity were worth a heart. The creature zoomed in front of her, blocking her path. It head-butted her, sending her flying back a short distance. She quickly cast a few cures on herself as she scrambled to her feet.

Meanwhile, the blonde woman watching her from a distance was beginning to get impatient. "This is ridiculous," she muttered. She extended a hand towards the brunette and used osmose to instantly deplete Yuna's remaining magical power.

Yuna immediately felt herself being drained and looked frantically around her. Then she spotted Larxene up on the roof. The blonde was smirking down at her. Then suddenly, she vanished into thin air.

WHAM!

The heartless plowed right against Yuna's side. Yuna feebly dodged another blow, her heartbeat and mind racing now. And then she heard that awful noise again.

FWOOM… FWOOM… FWOOM… FWOOM…

Suddenly, more flying heartless were peering down at her. _What's going on?_ Where were the guards when she really needed them? Just a few days earlier, she had stood in the same spot and her surroundings seemed so peaceful. Now, her mind was racing for a way out of there. Her eyes darted around and then she remembered. There was a small house that had been abandoned nearby. It would keep her safe for a little while. She took a deep breath and ran with all her might towards it. She rammed it open with her shoulder and quickly shut the door and locked it behind her. On the other side she could hear the creatures scratching at the door.

She moved a nearby chest of drawers in front of the door with some effort and then sat back on the bed in the corner and rubbed her sore shoulder. Her eyes scanned the room for anything that might serve as a weapon, but the closest things were old crates, and she knew they wouldn't be nearly enough against the group of creatures. She winced as the heartless rammed against the door. It seemed sturdy enough, but who knew for how long.

♥

"We need more Protect Chains!" Cid yelled past Gippal to George.

"I sent Yuna to get the extras awhile ago!" George replied.

"What? Why didn't you just go? She's still new to this place!" Cid yelled.

George was at a loss of words, but Gippal quickly cut in.

"I'll find her!" The Al Bhed leapt over the counter and sprinted up the ladder to the second floor. He grabbed his Mortar (or rather a new and improved Mortar since his old one was still somewhere in Spira) and slid back down with lightning speed. He shoved his way mercilessly through the crowd and sprinted for the Third District.

When he got inside, his eyes grew wide with panic. The skies were lined with Wyverns. "Shit… YUNA! Where are you?" The heartless spotted the blonde and started to careen towards him. As they did, he fired rapidly at them, sending their dark hearts scattering into thin air. Then he turned and saw the mass scratching at the abandoned house's door. He raced towards them and opened fire. They attempted to dodge the blasts, but the anger swelling in the Al Bhed's heart had made his aim deadlier than ever. In less than a minute, the skies were clear and the surroundings had resumed their quiet appearance.

"YUNA? Are you in there?" Gippal cried as he pounded on the door.

"I'm here!" Yuna answered. She jumped off the bed and slowly forced the chest of drawers out of her way before opening the door.

Gippal flung his Mortar to the side and embraced the brunette tightly. "Thank god…" He mumbled, his cheek pressed against hers. He could feel her heart beating as rapidly as his.

"I don't know what happened," Yuna tried to explain. "Everyone was gone and I thought they would be right back, but then…"

"Shhh…" Gippal commanded softly. He started to rub her back gently in small circles and absentmindedly began to sway with her from side to side. Yuna put her arms around him and soon began to relax. After a few minutes, Gippal broke the silence. "Let's get you back." He released her and strapped the Mortar to his back. Then he scooped her up into his arms.

"B-but, I can walk, Gippal! You'll hurt your back!" Yuna tried to protest.

Gippal shook his head. "Just relax."

"But!"

"Shhh…" He whispered close to her ear.

She lowered her head against his shoulder and the two made their way back to the First District.

To be continued…

Ohohohoho… you better believe that Gippal is royally pissed. Just wait till he gets back to the shop! This isn't the last of the Organization's attempts either. And what about the tournament? Find out in the next chapter – which **will be located in the Final Fantasy X-2 section** (since the pairings are based more on that game's characters). Until then (it might be awhile since spring break is pretty much over for me now), thanks for reading and please review!


	6. Light: Hazy

**A/N: **This story was written just as an attempt to do something slightly out of the norm from the traditional pairings and occurrences of most fan fiction. Don't misunderstand – most of my favorite stories are traditional pairings, but once in a while it's fun to change things around a bit. Enjoy this twist of fate and remember, Square-Enix owns the characters and the characters own you… for life, yo. Word.

_General Attitude_ (lyrics) by Collective Soul

**If you're new to the idea of Yuna x Gippal and are having a hard time trying to picture them together, I've put together a sample picture to help your imagination (visit my profile for the link).**

**L**ight

**C**hapter **S**ix **_– Hazy_**

♥

For the first time, Yuna was becoming painfully aware of the bruises that were starting to form from her recent encounter with the flock of Wyverns. She was still feeling a little shaken from the whole incident and was thankful that Gippal was carrying her as her legs were like jell-o at the moment.

For over two years, she had been prepared to face any form of fiend that life might throw at her. She could perform magical and physical attacks without much thought. But now, her magic was all but useless and all of her weapons were back in her native world. She knew that she wasn't some sort of superhuman, but to be reminded of it in such a painful way wasn't the greatest way to end such a hectic two days. She felt completely worn out. Being able to relax a little in Gippal's arms was at least a small consolation. She let out a little sigh, breath running across the Al Bhed's neck.

Gippal glanced down at the brunette, corners of his mouth curling up slightly. He was thankful she was all right, and was admittedly thankful to be able to hold her close to him for the moment, but at the same time, he was furious that she was attacked in the first place. He couldn't remember a time when the guards had failed to protect the districts. Their diligence was part of the reason the heartless wouldn't ordinarily dare to attack. Whoever or whatever the cause of their absence was, he wanted answers and he wanted them quickly.

When they reached the shop, the line had dwindled down dramatically, but the remaining customers were shouting at the top of their lungs.

"I still need a Thundaga Ring!"

"Where are the Blizzara Rings?"

Suddenly, Rikku caught sight of her two friends. "YUNIE!" She cried. Cid and George looked out over the heads of the people that were squished into the shop and saw the two Spirans standing outside. Rikku plowed through the remaining customers and raced over to them. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Rikku," Yuna replied, smiling slightly.

"Think you can stand?" Gippal asked her. Yuna nodded and Gippal carefully set her on her feet. "Help her for a sec, Rikku."

"Sure, sure," Rikku replied. She took a hold of her cousin's arm to keep her standing.

"I'll be right back…" An icy glow crept into the Al Bhed's swirling green eye. He pushed into the quieting crowd and stood in the center of the room, eying every customer with a dangerous look. He quickly caught sight of a couple of guards in the corner of the room and had to restrain himself from shoving the nearby customers out of his way to get to them. The guards stared back at him, eyes wide with surprise. "Are you gentlemen aware that the Third District is completely unprotected at the moment?" His voice was icily serious, no hint of warmth present.

The guards looked at one another, then back at Gippal. Then one of them broke the silence. "We're from the Second District Exit Area team."

"Now that I think about it, we haven't seen anyone from the Third District teams, and their shifts were supposed to end awhile ago." The other added.

Gippal nodded. "In that case, I suggest you get a hold of your chief and let him know the current situation. One person has already been injured and from the looks of things, I don't think an inexperienced person would be able to survive for very long. You can use our phone. But first…" He turned and faced the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that the Accessory Shop is closed for the night. Thank you for shopping, we'll see you next year."

This, as can be expected, was met with a chorus of opposition, but Cid quickly rectified the situation.

"LISTEN UP, &(#&(#! THE MAN SAID WE'RE CLOSED! EVERYONE OUT! NOW!" He yelled, face beginning to turn red.

Finally persuaded, the crowd began to quickly disperse and after a few minutes of pushing and shoving, the store was quiet and nearly empty.

"Phone's over here, boys." Cid said, ushering the two guards behind the front counter.

Meanwhile, Gippal made his way back outside.

"That was quick." Rikku remarked with a grin.

"Heh, no sweat." Gippal replied with a simple shrug. His voice had retained its normal cockiness. He easily scooped Yuna back into his arms. "Alley-oop."

"Gippal, really you don't have to-"

"Nonsense." A smirk curled across his face. "Besides, I left my weights back in Spira." Gippal replied, beginning to lift Yuna up and down slightly as if she were a barbell.

Yuna's eyes widened slightly and she her grasp tightened on the Al Bhed. "H-hey!" She said laughingly.

"Seriously, though." Gippal said as he stopped moving her. "Those are some pretty nasty bruises you've got. They'll probably hurt like hell in the morning." He started to walk towards the door. "We need to get you to bed."

"Gee, someone's in a rush… Don't you usually buy them dinner, first, Gippy?" Rikku said, smirking.

Gippal quickly fought off a blush, then eyed the other Al Bhed smoothly. "Heh, I'm glad you considered that Happy Meal good enough to be called 'dinner'." Gippal replied, giving her a positively evil grin.

Rikku immediately turned red. "W-what?"

Yuna started to laugh. "So you two _were_ close. I take it it's been awhile since that night, right?"

"Yes, yes, it has." Gippal replied, smirking at Rikku. She, on the other hand, was shaking her head fervently.

"Well then, just make sure you two keep it down tonight, okay?" Yuna continued smoothly.

"Oka-What?" Gippal blinked a few times. "Rikku, you're a bad influence on your cousin!"

"M-me? What about you, Mr. Happy Meal!" Rikku shot back.

"…Mr. Happy Meal…?" Gippal raised an eyebrow.

Rikku sighed. "It's not my fault, I'm TIIIIRED!" She whined. "Let's all just go to bed…"

"Kinky…"

"GAH! GIPPAL!"

♥

A little while later, Gippal came back downstairs. Cid and the two guards were standing near the counter, talking.

"An investigation is under way as we speak." The first one said as Gippal joined them.

"We still haven't located the missing teams." The other added. "Do you mind telling us exactly what you saw while you were there?"

Gippal explained about the heartless lining the sky and having to pry them away from the door to the small house with firepower. "That's not all," Gippal continued, his voice becoming grave. "Yuna told me she saw someone on the roof while she was being attacked. She described her as a blonde woman wearing black clothing. She said the woman drained her magic and then vanished." He scratched his head for a moment. "I think I've seen her before, too. I'm fairly certain I saw her just before I left my world." The guards continued to take down notes as Gippal recalled his last day on Spira.

_Gippal stood at the stern of the ship, watching how the boat turned the calm sea water to miniature torrents._ _He was on his way to yet another boring meeting with Baralai and Nooj on Spira's current state. It had been – how many months now? – after Vegnagun's defeat and the leaders of the Youth League and New Yevon were _still_ insistent on keeping each other up to date with the progress of their respective groups. Gippal, on the other hand, didn't really care, _and_ was fairly certain the Machine Faction didn't really care, either. As far as he could see, they were all "coping" with the latest evil's defeat rather well. Nevertheless, he loved his friends enough to humor them. _

_Besides, there was always the chance he might meet someone really hot-er… really _concerned_ with Spira's wellbeing… and he would be more than happy to discuss his visions for Spira's future over dinner… Of course, it always ended at dinner, because although he didn't mind the "love 'em and leave 'em" bad boy image people had of him, he secretly prided himself of the fact that he wasn't a whore. It made him feel like a real leader, instead of the mere front man he often felt like._

_Currently, he had his eyes set on a particular raven-haired beauty he had seen when he first boarded. She had disappeared below deck awhile ago, but as soon as they landed, Gippal was fully prepared to work his charm. He glanced around for a moment. No one. Maybe they had all gone below deck as well. He shrugged and turned his attention back to the sea._

_Just as he was about to start dreaming up opening lines, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a blonde woman with icy blue eyes staring back emotionlessly at him. Her hair was severely slicked back and she wore a black, hooded cloak. In one swift motion, she placed her hand to the side of his face._

"_You who all of Spira holds in their heart, come with me."_

"Everything after that is pretty much a blur…" Said Gippal. He shifted his weight to the other foot. "When I learned about the whole 'Princesses of Heart' ordeal, I thought about that moment again. What she said… doesn't really describe me… Well, to the female population, _maybe_," he added with a smirk, "but I know someone else who fits that description far too well. And I was happy they took me instead of her." His voice grew softer. "And then I found that she had been brought here, too." He looked up at the three men who were intently listening. "I don't know why, but I think they're after Yuna. I don't really want to tell her, though, because… well… She's been through a lot of crap in her life and… I don't want to see her worry. She won't worry about herself, she'll worry about the people of this world and most likely the whole universe and…" he trailed off. "It's about time the _world_ protected _her_ for a change."

Cid nodded. "Sounds only fair."

"This should help our investigation quite a lot. Thank you for your time," the second guard said.

"If there's any new evidence, we'll notify you immediately." The first added. They gave Cid and Gippal a quick salute, then exited the shop.

Cid scratched his chin. "Yuna's got her heart set on entering that tournament, doesn't she? That might be a tad dangerous… Make sure you don't let her out of your sight for a minute."

"What about the gummi ship?" Gippal asked, surprised.

"Eh, she's about done anyway. Finish up the plans you've been workin' on tomorrow and I'll handle the rest." He paused for a second. "Hey… what's she gonna use to fight with?"

"Leave that to me," Gippal replied.

♥

Needless to say, everyone slept in the next morning.

Around noon, Rikku woke up and made herself some pancakes and sausage links. She sat down near the fireplace and listened to the peace of the store. The silence was absolute heaven after the two days of yelling she had had to endure. Since she had the rest of the day off, she decided she would take a walk around town and then get to work on her own special synthesis project – a new, improved set of thief blades. She planned to imbue the blades with elemental magic by fusing different elemental shards together to create a lightweight, incredibly strong material to make the weapons from. Without any customers to bother her, she figured she'd have them finished by the end of the day.

"Hey, _yawn_… What're you doing up so early?"

Rikku looked up to find Gippal sleepily staring down at her. "Early? It's almost noon! Time to wakey wakey and get started on a brand new day!"

"What's got you so darn cheerful?" Gippal asked, climbing down the ladder.

Rikku pulled the plans for her blades out of her back pocket and held them in front of his face. "These!" She replied excitedly. "Nice, huh?"

"Not, bad," Gippal replied, nodding. "The shard fusion idea is genious…"

"I know! Isn't it?" Rikku continued. "Once I finish those, I just have to find a battle outfit and I'm ready to rock!"

Gippal rolled his eyes. "Why not just wear what you have on?"

"Ohohoho… how quickly you forget… Two words. Sexy. Guys. …As far as the eye can see!" She sighed happily imagining it.

"…Uh…huh…"

She stuck her tongue out at him and then finished off the last of her food. "I'm not gonna let you spoil my fun!" She said, mouth full. A few minutes later, she was out the door.

♥

Awhile later, George and Cid joined Gippal downstairs. George practically inhaled his breakfast and left for the tavern, eager to spend every moment of free time with his sweetheart.

As Gippal and Cid were finishing their coffee, they saw something slide under the door out of the corner of their eyes. When Gippal retrieved it, he found it was an envelope made of what seemed to be plastic and it was addressed to Cid. Cid carefully opened it and read it out loud.

"Dear Cid and Merlin,

I have heard others speak of your ingenuity and talent for making the implausible possible. I am hoping you will be able to use your abilities to help me with a difficult problem of mine. You see, I've always wanted to enter the Coliseum games, but have never been able to because I have fins instead of legs. If you could make some sort of device that might help me be able to compete, I would be eternally grateful to you both. I know I can hold my own against any land-dweller, any day! Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

Ariel,

Princess of Atlantica"

Cid jumped out of his seat. "WOO-HOO-HOO! This could REALLY put us on the map! We'd be famous across the universe! I gotta tell ol' Merlin right away!" Cid began to quickly stuff the letter back in its envelope and was almost to the door when he suddenly stopped and slapped his forehead. "Can't leave Yuna alone while she's sleeping."

"Go ahead and go. I'll stay." Gippal replied.

"You sure? I don't want you to have to be cooped up in here on your day off." Said Cid.

Gippal just waved his hand. "Sure, just go. Besides, I promised I'd make a set of guns for her anyway."

"Alright then! Ha-hah! Just you wait! We'll be famous!" Cid cried as he rushed out the door.

Gippal shook his head. The prospect of new inventions always got Cid as excited as a chocobo in a field of gyshal greens.

♥

For the next half hour, he was able to finish the gummi ship plans _and_ most of the new Twin Bees plans. He decided to call them the "Queen Bees," because they were much more advanced than their predecessors. After awhile, he decided to take a break and bring Yuna some breakfast.

After carefully carrying the tray of food up the ladder and the small set of stairs, he balanced it in one hand and managed to open the door to her room. When he saw her, she seemed to be tossing and turning in her bed, a look of pain on her face. Gippal quickly set the tray down on a nearby table and rushed over to her side.

"Yuna… Hey, wake up…" He said as he shook her.

Her eyes opened rapidly, fear swirling in their green and blue depths, but they seemed to calm when she realized where she was and who was looking down at her.

"Are you all right?" Gippal asked.

"Oh, y-yeah, I'm okay. It was just a weird dream, that's all." Yuna replied sheepishly.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry." Yuna replied, summoning a bright smile. She noticed the food on the table. "Is that for me?"

"Tch, no, it's mine," Gippal replied, smirking. "Yeah, it's for you. I thought you might be hungry."

Yuna nodded. "I'm starved."

♥

After Yuna had finished eating, Gippal took the tray and set it back on the table. Then he sat back down on the chair he had pulled up to her bed and turned back to the brunette. "So, how do you feel?"

"Like I was run over by a shoopuf." Yuna replied, stretching. "But, really, I don't feel as bad as I thought I might. I know Rikku was going to go shopping for an outfit today; maybe I will, too."

"Oh no you're not," Gippal replied seriously. "You've got dark circles under your eyes and if you want to get rid of those bruises and start training for the tournament, you've got to rest."

"But, I can't sleep…" Yuna protested quietly.

"You afraid you'll have another nightmare?" Gippal asked. He eyed her with a cocky 'Don't-try-to-deny-it' look.

"N-no…" Yuna replied, averting her gaze.

Gippal smirked. "That's okay. I'll just uh… hold your hand until you fall asleep. Bad dreams are afraid of me." He added matter-of-factly.

A small smile spread on Yuna's face. "Is that so? Well… alright then…" She grasped Gippal's hand and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she abruptly opened them.

"What?"

"Your arm's going to get tired." Yuna replied, frowning slightly.

Gippal rolled his eyes as he smiled. "All right, scoot over."

"…What?" Yuna replied, confused.

"Scoot. Over." He repeated, smirking.

Yuna slowly moved over and Gippal plopped his T-shirt and jean clad body next to hers. He held on to her hand and placed his other hand behind the back of his head.

"If the guys back at D'jose could only see me now - _in bed_ with the High Summoner." He sighed deeply, then winked at her to let her know he was only joking.

Yuna giggled. "_On_ bed actually."

"Eh, that's just a technicality," Gippal replied. He shrugged. "Either way, once you've been in bed with an Al Bhed…"

Yuna erupted in laughter. "Gippal!" She shook her head. "You're too much…" She slowly closed her eyes.

"I know," he replied, grinning. A moment later, a yawn escaped his lips. "I think I'll take a nap, too…"

♥

**_Where am I now? …Baaj…_ **_Yuna found herself standing on a familiar stretch of stone. Just below her, she could make out the ruins of one of the hidden temples._

**_You didn't look here, you know…_ **_The voice caused her to whirl around in surprise. She saw Tidus staring back at her, body fading in and out of opaqueness. He glared coldly back at her. **If you really loved me, you would've looked EVERYWHERE…**_

**_B-but… We _did _look here! I'm sure of it! _**_She tried to reassure the figure. **I tried my best! You can't be angry with me!**_

_**Hmph, can't I? **The figure began to grin wickedly at her. **No matter… Everyone will leave you eventually. **_

_**Why are you doing this to me? You can't be the real Tidus! He would never treat me this way! **Yuna yelled back at him. She could feel tears threatening to spill from her eyes._

_The figure began to laugh. **And who exactly **_**is_ 'the real Tidus'? That boy on the island? _**_The figure shook his head.** As you have failed me, so shall others fail you.** With that, he disappeared completely the ground began to shake and crumble._

_Yuna screamed and grabbed on to the remaining piece of stone. She could feel her fingers slipping slowly away until she felt herself fall. **I'm sorry…**_

"I'm sorry…" Yuna whispered.

The sound of her voice was very low, but Gippal still made it out. He opened his eyes and noticed that Yuna was squeezing his hand tightly. He turned to face her and saw the tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry…" She repeated.

_**What have you got to be sorry for? **A new voice questioned her._

_**I failed… to protect… **Yuna forced out slowly._

_**But you protected me. **The voice interrupted.** You saved me.**_

_Yuna looked around, but saw no one. **I can't remember…**_

_Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms go around her and draw her in close. **A giant machina possessed by powerful hatred almost destroyed me. But you weren't afraid of it. You fought against it. You saved me. You saved my life.**_

_**But… What if you leave?**_

_The voice seemed to laugh softly as the arms tightened their grasp._

"Shhh… I'm not going to leave. I'll stay right here." Gippal whispered against Yuna's ear. "Just relax… I'm right here…" He felt the brunette relax against him and begin to breathe more easily. He pressed a faint kiss to the side of her neck and felt her settle into his arms.

♥

"She's not listening to me anymore." Larxene stood up from her seat and crossed over to the other side of the room, heels echoing across the porcelain tile floor.

"You almost broke concentration for a moment there. What happened?" Another cloaked figure asked.

"_She_ almost broke the connection on her own. Apparently, she is not dependent on her lost love as she was in the past." She crossed her arms. "I'll have to find another way." She narrowed her eyes for a moment. "I'll try again later."

♥

_Yuna slowly opened her eyes. She could see sunlight streaming through the window and could feel a warm body pressed up against hers, with two strong arms around her._

"_Morning," A husky voice whispered in her ear._

_Yuna turned around to face Gippal. His blonde locks were completely tousled. Soft laughter escaped her lips. "Your hair…"_

_Gippal smirked back at her, green eye twinkling mischievously. "Yours isn't any better…" He leaned in close to her ear, breath tickling her porcelain skin. "What did you expect after last night?" He began to trail kisses along her neck, causing the brunette to moan softly. Gippal smiled and started to get up, but Yuna caught his arm. She looked up at him pleadingly. "Can't let you out of my sight for a minute, can I?" Gippal asked, grinning at her._

_Yuna smiled and shook her head._

"_C'mere, you…" Gippal wrapped his arms around her as his lips came closer to hers._

♥

Yuna's eyes shot open as she let out a little gasp.

"You okay?" Gippal asked. He was standing up near the table, Queen Bee plans in hand.

"Y-yeah! I'm okay. I just need a drink!" Yuna replied almost too cheerfully. She sprang from the bed and ran into the bathroom. After locking the door behind her, she quickly turned on the water and doused her face with cold water, trying to cool down her beet-red face. She looked up at her reflection and noticed her face returning to its normal color. _It was just a dream, Yuna! Calm down!_ She dried off her face and calmly walked back into her room.

"I finished up the plans for your new guns," Gippal said. "I think you're really gonna like 'em. If you don't mind, I'll go over to the Synth Shop and build them. I should be back in a few hours."

"Okay," Yuna replied cheerily. "I'll be here."

"If you need anything, just call, okay?"

"Okay." Yuna replied. Once she was sure he was out the door, she let out a huge sigh of relief. "I think that's enough sleep for now."

♥

To keep herself occupied for a few hours, Yuna took a shower and then started to clean up the shop a little. She turned on Cid's radio and started to sing as she wiped down the cabinets and countertop.

"Time you've had more than your share of mine,

I'm a criminal with no crime,

Sing like a bird that is now released,

Like an angel with clip-on wings,

I've nothing that's etched in stone,

I'm a ready that's already gone.

There's a joke, yeah, there's a tease,

There's a cause I do believe,

But, let it run, now,

Let it run after me…"

She got so wrapped up in the music, she didn't even hear someone enter the shop.

"Yeah, I'm coming round,

This world loves me now,

Feel the rhythm of change,

Yeah, it's laying it down…"

"Heh… So there was a time the world didn't love you?"

Yuna quickly spun around and saw Gippal eying her with a bemused expression, one arm clutching a box. She quickly shut off the radio.

"Heh… It's one of my favorite songs…" Yuna explained awkwardly.

"I brought you something," Gippal said, putting the box on the counter.

Yuna carefully opened the box and gasped. She pulled out two golden guns. They were slightly larger than her Twin Bees, but surprisingly, much lighter. Miniature wings took the place of the old golden designs at the end of the old guns, and the words "Queen Bee" were etched in Al Bhed on each side. "They're beautiful, Gippal!" She looked up and smiled brightly at him. "Thank you so much!" She leaped over the counter and hugged him.

"So it's safe to assume you like them then?"

"I LOVE them!"

"Heh, good. I think I'll add a few more details to them and you'll be set for the tournament." Gippal said.

Yuna released him and nodded.

The Al Bhed packed up the guns and headed for the door. "I'll be back in a little while." He left for the Synth Shop once more.

In the meantime, Yuna was feeling exhausted from all the cleaning. She crossed the room and laid back on the black seating area, deciding she would close her eyes for just a few minutes.

♥

"It's been awhile," Larxene said nonchalantly. "Perhaps I'll try again now."

"What have you got in mind this time?" The dark figure near her asked.

"Something simple… a little dream twist." She smiled cruelly and sat back in her chair. She placed her fingers at her temples and shut her eyes tight."

♥

_Yuna found herself in a cavern. She was being carried in Gippal's arms. For some reason, something didn't seem quite right to her. She looked at the Al Bhed closely. His hair was a complete mess. "Your hair…" Yuna began._

_Gippal simply stared back at her icily. "Yours isn't any better." He roughly stood her on her feet and began to walk ahead. "What did you expect after last night?" He continued to walk through the cavern with Yuna nearly at a jog to keep pace with him. It was hard to see in the dimly lit cave, and Yuna found herself almost slipping off the edge of a ledge. Luckily, a hand grabbed her and pulled her back to safety roughly. "Can't let you out of my sight for a minute, can I?" Gippal continued to drag her through the cavern, until they finally saw light up ahead. Once they reached the exit, Yuna could see Rikku standing ahead near a tree. Her angry expression startled Yuna so that she dragged her feet for a moment, causing Gippal to yank her arm forward. "C'mere, you…" He thrust her forward where Rikku grabbed her hand and continued to lead her._

"_**They think you're just a helpless little girl. They think they have to take care of you, even though they don't want to."**_

"_It seems that way, doesn't it…"_

"_**I think it's because they're jealous. You're much more powerful than both of them combined. You shouldn't rely on them. You don't need them…"**_

"_I don't need them…"_

"_**Don't let them try to baby you anymore. You must prove it to them."**_

"_I will…"_

"I will…" Yuna opened her eyes and sat up. _I don't need them. I don't need anyone. It's easier on my own._

A moment later, Rikku walked in. "Whew! What a day! I finished my blades and then I went to six stores trying to find the right outfit, but I did it!" Rikku chirped. "_And_ I found something that would be absolutely, 100-percent perfection for you, Yunie! C'mon, I'll show it to you!" She grabbed her cousin's arm, but Yuna slipped out of her grasp.

"That's okay, I was going to go by myself anyway." She replied evenly.

"B-but, I thought I was gonna help you fi-"

"Really, it's okay, Rikku," Yuna interrupted. "Besides, you must be starving. You should eat something."

"O-okay, Yunie," Rikku replied, trying to hide her surprise and disappointment.

"See ya," Yuna replied as she waltzed out the door. Rikku just looked on, stunned.

Gippal came back a few minutes later. "Hey, Rikku. Did Yuna leave? I was gonna give her her guns."

"Yeah, she went shopping… WITHOUT ME!" Rikku cried, crossing her arms.

"So what? You went shopping without her." Gippal reminded her.

"Yeah, but this is different," Rikku protested. "She's… acting weird for some reason…"

Gippal ruffled her hair. "Aww, I think _you're_ just being weird." He climbed the stairs up to his room.

"I hope you're right…" Rikku mumbled softly.

To be continued…

Ooo ooh, ooo ooo ooooh, she's got a new attitude! XD And it's only going to get worse… But you'll find out more about that in the next chapter… By the way, the song lyrics are from Collective Soul's new album, _Youth_, and it's got a bunch of great songs on it, so go check it out! Special thanks to Angry Angel (yay, all your compliments make me so uber happy I could explode), Cali Cutie (sankyou, chica, I heart you so bad), Smiley-chan (yup, you guessed it, and yay, another person who likes S x S), and HurricaneGurl41 (yay, I'm glad you liked it enough to read all the chapters at once! Lol, I did it because it was an unusual couple hehe XD). Thanks for reading, please review! X3


	7. Light: Flickering

**A/N: **This story was written just as an attempt to do something slightly out of the norm from the traditional pairings and occurrences of most fan fiction. Don't misunderstand – most of my favorite stories are traditional pairings, but once in a while it's fun to change things around a bit. Enjoy this twist of fate and remember, Square-Enix owns the characters and the characters own you… for life, yo. Word.

**If you're new to the idea of Yuna x Gippal and are having a hard time trying to picture them together, I've put together a sample picture to help your imagination (visit my profile for the link).**

**L**ight

**C**hapter **S**even **_– Flickering_**

♥ ---

Yuna breathed in the crisp early morning air. She had a large bag slung over her right shoulder and another in her arms; both of which contained everything she would need while staying at Mount Olympus's training dormitories. She stared blankly at the large wooden doors that served as Traverse Town's world exit and wished she had taken that refill on coffee earlier that morning. She had planned on getting a good night's sleep, but a dull headache put an end to that. The odd thing was she hadn't really felt it coming on at all. Stranger yet, she couldn't really remember a time when she had ever had such a headache – it clouded her thoughts completely and just when she thought it might stop, it started to boom again.

_It must be nerves_, Yuna thought. Soon, the brunette could hear two sets of footsteps behind her.

"What've you got in there? A small nation?" Gippal quipped.

Rikku shot him an indignant look. "These are my absolute essentials!"

"Hmph… This is all I need," Gippal replied, holding up one duffle bag.

"Well gooo-oooody for you!" Rikku shot back. She caught sight of her cousins' equally large bags and ran up to her side. "SEE! We're prepared!"

Gippal stopped beside them and rolled his eyes. "This is a training camp, not a survival mission."

"Whatever," Rikku replied, waving a hand dismissively. She turned her attention to Yuna. "So… uhmm… Did you find anything at the store last night?" She asked cautiously.

"…Last night?" Yuna repeated slowly. She absentmindedly unzipped the bag in her arms and found a new set of clothes folded neatly inside along with her Queen Bees. "Uh… Y-yeah, I guess I did." _Wow… That headache really did a number on me, didn't it._ She thought. _I don't even remember setting foot inside a store…_

"Oh! Good…" Rikku replied, feigning a smile. She peeked into the bag and then her eyes widened. "Hey! That's the one I was going to show you!"

"Oh …really?" _…I guess I went by myself? Weird…_

"Oh no… One Rikku's bad enough; two just might kill us all…" Gippal said, smirking.

"Heeeey! You're just jealous that great minds think alike and your poor excuse for gray matter is WAY out of _our_ league." She replied, sticking out her tongue at the end for (rather childish) emphasis.

"Riiiight… So, when's this shuttle supposed to arrive?" Gippal continued.

"It should be here in a few more minutes," Yuna said as she glanced at her watch.

As the three waited, a small crowd began to form behind them. People of all ages were packed down with their own sets of luggage, all eagerly waiting to arrive at Mount Olympus. Yuna glanced behind her and saw Cid and Merlin towards the end of the line. They would be staying at the training center just long enough to check on their latest customer's special device. Cid had mentioned something about "flying fish," but Yuna couldn't really remember all of it now.

Just then, the wooden doors opened, revealing a walkway that lead up to Traverse Town's loading dock. The three-sectioned shuttle hovered patiently as its passengers boarded. Then it made its way at tremendous speed towards the famed home of heroes.

♥ ---

By the afternoon, the three had unpacked, stored their battle outfits for the tournament, and taken a quick tour of the grounds. Huge training centers with varying temperatures dotted the landscape. Training warriors could choose from deserts to frozen wastelands to tropical retreats to train in. So far, the three had tried most of the moderate temperature ones and were now making their way to a rainforest training ground. As they neared it, the three could smell the poignant fragrance of tropical flowers and feel the intense humidity.

Suddenly, Yuna could feel herself getting dizzy. A dull pain was washing over her, and she began to have a hard time seeing clearly. _What's happening to me?..._

_**Just relax, it's just nerves…** _She could hear her own thoughts from earlier echoing back to her.

_Just… nerves…_ Her eyes suddenly snapped back into focus. The dull headache had subsided a little, but she could still feel it beating at her temples. She looked up ahead at the two blondes walking in front of her. _They're _leading_ me again, aren't they…_She thought with a frown. She quickly let it fade as her cousin turned around to face her.

"Alright, get ready to lose again, Gippal!" Rikku cried as she got into battle position.

"Hey, wait. You were teamed up with Yuna last time. Now it's your turn to be the single person." Gippal reminded her.

_And apparently I _need _someone to be my teammate as well? _"I'll be odd man out!" Yuna yelled forcefully. She was quickly met by the blondes' surprised looks. "Uh… I mean, I'll be by myself this time. You guys go ahead and pair up." She replied in a gentler tone.

"Okie dokie, Yunie!" Rikku replied. "You're goin' down!"

_How did I get stuck with these two? _Yuna muttered inwardly. She gripped her Queen Bees and got into starting position. _I'm tired of this._

"First to get to warning health level loses! Ready…GO!" Rikku shouted and began to run at Yuna with her blades ready to strike.

Yuna dodged out of the way and shot back using a firestrike attack Gippal designed for her guns. Rikku just barely inched out of the way and Gippal began to fire at Yuna. Yuna flipped out of the way and cast haste on herself. She held one gun aimed at Gippal and the other at Rikku and began another round of firestrike attacks. The two managed to dodge most of them, but were struck quite a few times.

"So you wanna play rough, eh, Yuna?" Gippal switched his Mortar's grinder on and ran at the brunette. She nearly escaped, but her speed was no match for the Mortar's reach. After recovering, Yuna began to charge her guns with holy magic. Gippal ran towards her again, but she stopped charging and dropped to the ground. She swept her leg around, kicking Gippal's legs and throwing him off balance. He flipped over onto Rikku, who was in the process of running towards Yuna, and the two blondes fell to the floor. Yuna scrambled to her feet and finished charging the guns. Just as the two were getting back into position, Yuna fired her new "Holy Smokes" attack and the alarm sounded.

White magic pumped into the room, restoring the three to full power once more. A satisfied smirk spread across Yuna's face while the other two stared dumbfounded at her.

**_You see? You _are_ more powerful than the both of them combined._**

"Wow…" Gippal began, laughing with disbelief. "Good shot!"

"Yeah," Rikku chimed in. "I didn't know you had it in you!"

Yuna just shrugged and began to walk away.

"H-hey! Where're you going, Yunie?" Rikku called after her.

"I need a _real _challenge," Yuna replied, not even bothering to turn around.

Rikku and Gippal exchanged confused looks. "You mean like the desert grounds?" Rikku asked as she and Gippal jogged up beside the brunette.

"No. Opponent-wise." Yuna said simply. "I'll see you two later!" She began to jog down the street towards the colder training areas.

Rikku's mouth dropped and for a minute all she could do was utter surprised sounds, point after her cousin's disappearing form, and narrow her eyes even more. "W-what the heck was that all about!" She finally spat out.

Gippal scratched his head. "Ya got me…" _I've never seen her act like that…_ Suddenly, his voice got quieter. "Is it _that time of the month_?"

"What? No!" Rikku replied, slapping his shoulder. "And she's barely bitchy then!... Not that _you_ need to know!" She slapped his shoulder again.

_Geez, maybe it's Rikku's…_

Rikku glared at him. "And it's not mine either!" Gippal smirked at her and she continued. "This is what I was talking about! This is what she did yesterday, too! And then this morning she acted like nothing happened! Arrrgghhh!"

"Well… fine! If she wants to go find a 'real challenge', let her." Gippal replied, face still mirroring Rikku's pissed expression. Suddenly, he became aware of a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I'm hungry, c'mon!" With that, he grabbed Rikku's hand and began to make his way towards the cafeteria.

♥ ---

Rikku was still fuming as she forcefully shoved curly fry after curly fry down her throat. "I can't believe the nerve of… oooohhhh…" _Shove, shove_. "Can you believe that? I can't _believe_ that!… Grrr…."

Gippal simply continued to sip his root bear and zone out Rikku's muttering. He was still annoyed about being brushed off, but didn't really want to think about it while he was trying to enjoy his meal. He glanced over to the side and caught sight of Cid and Merlin. Seated nearby was the famed sea princess, Ariel, and close by were the other princesses. All of them seemed to be excitedly chattering and Cid had that trademark dreamy look on his face signifying the prospect of more work. Apparently, he and Merlin had impressed them with their newest device, the Aqua-Aeroga. With it, Ariel was now able to "swim" through the air as she would underwater; and she and her friends couldn't be happier.

Suddenly, Rikku stopped mid-sentence when she caught sight of a tall blonde several feet away. "Hey… look…" She pointed towards the tall, spikey-haired man.

Gippal looked up and saw Cloud looking absolutely miserable. He had never seen the stoic warrior look so completely down before.

"Call him over," Rikku whispered as she nudged Gippal's shoulder.

"He doesn't look like he wants to be bothered."

"I won't bother him. Call him over."

"Why don't you do it?" Gippal replied lazily.

"Because, you have the whole spikey-haired brotherhood thing going for you. Now do it!"

Gippal shrugged and stood up. "Hey, Cloud." He said, waving slightly to get the man's attention. Cloud turned towards the Al Bhed and stared blankly at him. "Erm… Why don't you join us…?"

Cloud nodded slightly and trudged over to the table. He seated himself next to Rikku and began to stare at the table. Rikku and Gippal looked at one another. Gippal shrugged his shoulders and gestured slightly towards the other blonde man as if to say "So now what?"

"So… Cloud… Something on your mind?" Rikku began.

Cloud averted his gaze from the table and now peered down at the floor. "…Not really…" The sudden feeling of a hand being put on his arm broke him from his trance. He looked up to find Rikku looking back worriedly at him.

"C'mon, you can tell me." Rikku tried softly.

♥ ---

"And then she looked at me with this… _icy_ glare and said, 'Just leave me alone!' And… I don't know what I did wrong! …I… I love her, you know?"

Rikku patted the blonde warrior's shoulder. "I know, Cloud. Maybe she just needs some time to herself. If we see her, we'll be sure and talk to her."

Cloud nodded and stood up. "Thanks. I appreciate it." The two Al Bhed watched as he walked out of the cafeteria.

"Okay… How did you do that?" Gippal asked.

"Do what?" Rikku asked as she finished her meal.

Gippal shot her a look of disbelief. "The man just spewed out his soul! He!... You!... Cloud _never_ shows emotion!" He gestured wildly with his hands.

Rikku simply nodded. "I know. It's a gift." Her expression darkened. "I can't believe Aerith would be so mean to him, though. They're crazy for each other! Well… at least, they usually are…" She paused for a moment, then slammed her fist on the table and stood up. "I won't stand for it! Every day you hear about another perfect couple breaking up! It's just not right! Those two are meant to be together! And so help me, wild chocobos couldn't drag me away from this, my newest mission: to get those two back together again!" She placed her hands on her hips and Gippal was almost afraid of the determined look in her eye… Especially when her gaze fell on him. "And YOU are going to help me do it!"

Before Gippal could utter a single word, he found himself being dragged out of the cafeteria and back towards the training centers.

♥ ---

"I'm surprised, Larxene. I had my doubts when you told me you were planning on tapping into more than just the Spiran's consciousness at once, but I must admit, this is working out rather nicely."

"Yes… It was a rather brilliant idea, wasn't it?" The blonde stepped out of the shadows and gazed out across the sea of training centers. "And now it's time for phase two. I've already introduced them to weaker dark power. Now we'll see how they like this…" She revealed a small vile of liquid, swirling black and dark pink.

"Essence of Darkside?"

Larxene nodded. "It's perfect. It can be absorbed quite easily and without detection. Even that wretched boy was overcome by its effects at one time."

"But it _did _wear off by the time he reached Traverse Town. It will wear off of them as well."

"In time, yes… But I'll have destroyed them long before that."

♥ ---

Aeris dodged another weak blow, then swung her staff at her latest opponent. The dark-haired man opposite her was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face. She grazed his leg and as he fell backwards, the alarm rang.

Aerith looked up at the white magic vents, annoyance glowing in her eyes. "Already?" She snorted. "How hard is it to find a _real_ warrior in this place?"

"G-g-good fight," The man stammered as he stood up and extended his hand to the pink-clad woman.

Aerith eyed the man contemptuously. "You _must_ be joking…" She turned and made her way out of the training center, leaving the man looking rather stunned.

She continued to fight her way into the colder training centers, each time attacking with greater power. She seemed to even surprise herself at how strong she was getting and how quickly it was occurring. _Hmph… And they think I'm such a weakling… Fools…_

♥ ---

"Uuuuuggghhhh! We've been EVERYWHERE and still no sign of Aerith _or_ Yunie! Where the heck are they!" Rikku cried exasperatedly.

"Chill out, Cid's Girl. It's not like they disappeared off the face of the world or something." Gippal replied calmly. "Look, there's still a couple more training centers left. Let's try this one…" He said pointing towards the nearest center.

"Oooohh… we better find them soon! These places are FREEZING!" Rikku whined. She reluctantly followed Gippal into the icy room, still muttering. "Resistance training or no resistance training, these people are completely nuts…"

The two Al Bhed scanned the room and quickly caught sight of a particularly fierce battle taking place at the far end of the center. A blur of pink, silver and brown was mercilessly pummeling a rather muscular man into the snow. The health alarm was blaring, yet the fighter would not stop.

"STAND UP AND FIGHT ME!"

The blondes' faces paled. That _couldn't_ be Aerith! They shook themselves out of shock and ran to her side. Gippal grabbed her arms and while she struggled to shake the Al Bhed away, Rikku dragged the man as fast and far away as she could. He was breathing heavily and had incurred several wounds. Rikku glanced up at the ceiling.

"Where's the white magic?" She wondered out loud. Rikku turned her attention back to the man and began to cast round after round of cure on him. _If I had my dressphere, this would go a lot faster…_ "Don't worry, you're gonna be just fine," she reassured the man.

Meanwhile, Aerith had successfully bucked Gippal away from her and was now glaring at him. "How dare you interrupt us!" She growled.

"Did you even hear the bell? You could've killed that guy!" Gippal shot back. "What were you thinking?"

A deadly glow began to emanate from Aerith's eyes. "That's none of your concern," She began evenly. "I will do what I see fit! I refuse to be pushed around any longer!" She gave the fallen man a final glare and stormed out of the room.

"Rikku, stay here. I'm gonna follow her." Gippal ordered. Rikku nodded in reply and he began to silently follow the fuming brunette.

He soon discovered that someone else was following her, too.

"Did she tell you anything?"

Gippal spun around. "Geez! Don't _do_ that!" Gippal all but yelled at the tall blonde behind him. "No, she didn't say anything… But now I see what you mean. She's not acting like herself at all."

Cloud nodded. "She's been this way since last night. Although… she's in a worse mood now…"

The two crept from corner to corner, watching as Aerith made her way towards the farthest, coldest training center. As soon as she entered, the two left the shadows and ran to the opening. They peered into the dimly lit room of ice. Gippal's eye went wide at what he saw. There, in the middle of the room was Yuna. Her skin and lips were almost completely blue, yet she looked absolutely unfazed by the freezing temperature. She simply stared blankly at the newcomer approaching her.

♥ ---

Larxene smiled as the two women neared each other. "They'll destroy each other without me having to lift a finger." She watched from behind an ice wall as the remaining amount of dark magic filtered through the air and entered the two brunettes' bodies. "Now… begin!" She commanded softly.

♥ ---

Without a word, the two women began to attack one another with full force. Aerith's staff darkened in color until it became completely black. She swung it over and over at Yuna's quickly retreating form. Yuna, on the other hand, opened fire at her opponent, sending bursts of dark energy at Aerith.

"There's no way those guns can do that!" Gippal exclaimed. He dashed inside the training room, closely followed by Cloud.

"Aerith! Yuna! Stop!" Cloud shouted.

Aerith dodged another of Yuna's shots, then somersaulted backwards towards the two approaching men. "I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" She leapt to the side of one of the ice walls, pushed off and leaped into the air. As she came down, she swung at Cloud, grazing his head. He let out a stifled cry and dropped to the snowy ground, unconscious.

Aerith whipped her head around and stared straight into Gippal's eye. "AND YOU! You've disrupted me for the last time!" She raised her staff, but before she could strike, Yuna sent another round of dark magic at her and she dropped weakly to her knees. "That wasn't fair!" Aerith forced out. "You caught me off guard!" She took a few more ragged breaths before passing out and falling back against Cloud.

"Oh boo-hoo." Yuna replied. She blew the curling smoke away from the gun's barrel. "I simply expedited the inevitable." She turned her attention to Gippal. "And why are _you_ here?" She hissed.

"I've been looking for you," Gippal began cautiously. "Rikku and I were worried about you. You… You haven't been acting like yourself lately…"

"AND WHAT _IS_ ACTING LIKE MYSELF, EXACTLY?" She cried. "Like the obedient puppet I _should_ be? I'M TIRED OF IT! I'm sick to death of everyone bossing me around! All my life I've had to do what everyone else wanted me to! I'm sick of being the world's servant!" She raised her gun and aimed it straight for Gippal's head. "So allow me to serve you one last time…"

It took all of Gippal's strength to keep his voice steady. "All right then, shoot me if you think it'll prove something. But let me remind you of this: When the temples were inundated with fiends and the Gullwings were out saving them, I didn't ask for your help. What I told you then, I still believe. We can't come running to you every time we have a problem. No one should have to have that responsibility."

He kept his eye locked with hers, but noticed that she began to lower the gun ever so slightly. "It's not fair you've had so much pressure thrust upon you. You deserve to live your life the way you want, just like anybody else." Her eyes were beginning to soften.

He took a cautious step forward. "I'm sorry you've had to go through so much pain." Another slow step. "But you can't change the past with more pain." Step. "You stopped Spira from its eternal spiral of death." Step. "You ended Sin with the Calm." One more step. Her eyes seemed almost their normal glow. His voice became soft. "I haven't saved any worlds, and I'm definitely no superhero, but… I don't want to see you hurt anymore." He swiftly took hold of her arm and pulled her towards him, taking firm command of her icy lips.

Gippal's warm kiss and his breath burned against Yuna's skin. Every inch of her felt like it was scorching within his grasp. She couldn't move against the fire surging through her. She could feel herself becoming lost in the welcome heat, but her head was starting to throb harder than ever.

_**STOP! He's feeding you more LIES! Don't listen to them! He just wants to use you!**_

…_To use me…_

_**It's your power he wants! He doesn't care about you! He'll fail you!**_

…_Fail…_

**(As you have failed me, so shall others fail you…)**

She could hear voices swirling through her mind.

_You're not the real… You're not real!_

**(Everyone will leave you eventually…)**

_No…NO!_

_**He, too, will leave. You'll be completely alone. You're falling into the spiral again…**_

Yuna shoved herself out of the Al Bhed's grasp and gripped her gun, screaming at the top of her lungs. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

BANG!

Gippal's vision blurred as he anticipated the shot. He could feel his heart pounding rapidly against his chest. He listened as the sound of the shot rang across the icy walls.

He heard a soft thud directly in front of him.

As Gippal's sight began to come back into focus, he became aware of heavy breathing close by, towards the side of the room.

"Impossible…"

Gippal's eye locked onto the source of the voice, Larxene. She wiped her hand across her right arm and stared thunderstruck at the sticky red substance covering it.

"Impossible…" She mumbled again. Before Gippal could reach for a gun, the woman vanished.

Gippal kneeled down next to Yuna's still form. He placed his hand to the side of her neck and breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he felt her pulse. A moment later, he could hear footsteps quickly approaching and soon Rikku was standing in the doorway with Cid and the man she had helped earlier.

"What the hell happened in here?" Cid exclaimed as he rushed to Cloud and Aerith's forms.

"It's a long story. I'll fill you in once we get everyone out of here." Gippal replied as he carefully picked Yuna up. Cid lifted Aerith while the man and Rikku grabbed hold of Cloud, and they all proceeded out of the training center and towards the infirmary.

♥ ---

Gippal yawned and stretched his free arm over his head. His other hand was gently holding Yuna's as she slept in one of the infirmary rooms. "Well," Gippal began softly to himself, "You've really done it this time, Gippal. You kiss the girl and she goes and collapses! Tch… I must be losing my touch." He squeezed her hand and frowned slightly. "I wish she was after me instead of you." He kissed the back of her hand, then put his head back down on the edge of the bed he was seated near and closed his eyes. He had been by her side since he brought her in a few hours before. Tests showed that the former summoner was simply drained of energy and needed rest, but he refused to leave her alone. An hour earlier, Rikku had tried to persuade him to go back to the dorm and come back in the morning, but he held firm to his decision.

_Rikku grinned at him and ruffled his hair. "Awww…"_

"_Hey, cut it out," Gippal replied, swatting her hands away. "I just want to make sure that psycho bitch stays away from her, that's all." He tried to keep his normal, cool appearance._

"_Sure, sure, I understand." Rikku winked at him. She was almost to the door, when she stopped and turned around. "Just remember: you hurt her and I hurt you." She gave him a half-hearted glare._

_Gippal rolled his eyes. "Goodnight, _Princess_." He smiled as he heard her walk away, muttering how much she hated that nickname._

It wasn't very comfortable to be sleeping halfway on a bed and halfway seated on a chair, but the Al Bhed was thoroughly exhausted from the day's events and easily drifted off to sleep.

♥ ---

Yuna's eyes fluttered open and she squinted in the darkness. A clock on the opposite wall read 3:20 AM in bright red. She jumped a little in surprise when she realized that she wasn't in her bed and that a dark figure next to her was hunched over the side of the bed, holding her hand. As her eyes became more accustomed to the darkness, she realized it was Gippal.

_What are we doing here…?_

Slowly, some of the memories of the previous day began to come back to her. She remembered the headaches and becoming increasingly angry, but not much else. An anxious feeling rose in her stomach and she willed herself to remember more, but couldn't. She turned her attention back to the sleeping figure next to her. She was extremely glad to have someone familiar nearby. She knew she would have freaked out just now, otherwise. She had to admit, though, she was rather surprised that it was Gippal. He seemed to be at her bedside often.

She leaned closer to him and studied his face. He didn't look the least bit cocky while he slept. He looked almost boyish, actually. Yuna smirked to herself. Part of her felt slightly nervous that he would wake up and catch her staring at him. But then there was her curious side that wanted to examine every interesting curve of his face.

She had to admit, he _was_ rather good-looking. …Actually, _really_ good-looking. It probably wasn't such a big surprise that she had had that …_interesting_ dream while she slept next to him a few days before.

She watched his back rise and fall slightly as he breathed. It really was no wonder that so many people were crazy over him. But it seemed to Yuna that he had changed a lot since she had seen him last on Spira.

_It was months since Vegnagun's attack, and although she tried to assure everyone otherwise, Yuna still felt depressed that the only link she had left to her first love was gone. Rikku was sick of her cousin moping around, so she decided to bring her along on an errand at Djose Temple._

_When they arrived, they found Gippal surrounded by a multitude of women, all eager to hear how Gippal faced off against the killer machina, Vegnagun… for the millionth time. Gippal was just about to get to the part about "saving Logos and Leblanc" when Rikku tapped him on the shoulder. "Cid's Girl! And the High Summoner, too? Well, isn't this a surprise? I feel honored," he added with a mock bow._

_Rikku rolled her eyes. "Just tell me where that nit-wit of a machina is and I'll let you get back to your fairytale."_

_Gippal glared at the Al Bhed girl, then turned his attention back to his audience. "Ladies, I'll be right back." He motioned for Rikku and Yuna to follow him up into the heart of the temple. "Geez, Rikku, way to kill a moment there…" He muttered._

_The two had begun their usual banter, but Yuna hadn't really listened to any of it. She absentmindedly gazed from one wall to the next, and was only brought out of her own little world when Gippal snapped his fingers in front of her._

"_Huh? Oh… sorry…" She said sheepishly._

_He waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, I have that affect on people. Blindingly good looks… It's a curse." He added with a shrug. Yuna just stared blankly at him. "Uhh… anyway, while Rikku's working on that giant monstrosity," he gestured to the huge machina Rikku was now working on, "you can work on these little drones." He offered Yuna a wrench and she silently took it. Gippal scratched his head. "Uh… here, let me show you what to do…"_

_Yuna watched as he changed out one of the damaged parts and replaced it with a new one. Then, he gave the wrench back to her and supervised as she followed through the same steps. In no time, the drone was functioning perfectly. For the first time that day, Yuna smiled._

_Gippal nodded approvingly. "You _are_ part Al Bhed after all."_

_Just then, one of the other workers came running upstairs. He said something to Gippal in Al Bhed, then took his leave._

"_Well, I'll leave you two to your work. It seems those girls are threatening to start a riot if I don't come back." He added with a smirk. Even the way he walked away embodied conceit._

And now, it seemed he would gladly put his life on the line for Yuna or Rikku. When he had a cocky remark, he didn't actually believe it, but was really just poking fun at his reputation. She liked this new Gippal. He had proved himself to be an irreplaceable friend.

Yuna gently brushed his fallen blonde bangs out of his face. She liked the way he was concerned about her or that he took his own free time to build weapons for her. As she looked into his peaceful face, she began to wonder what it'd be like… if she were always his primary concern… and he were hers. She definitely wouldn't mind it… She brushed her lips against his forehead before lying back on her pillow. "I wish…"

To be continued…

AHHH! Sorry I haven't updated in so LONG! School's been royally kicking my arse… Which is partly why this chapter is kinda blarg… I hope you found it semi-interesting at least lol. So, just to clarify: Larxene really was shot, Yuna doesn't remember everything that happened (including that "heated" conversation with Gippal ohohohoho…) and Rikku has awesome powers (at least where getting people to express their feelings are concerned?...) In the next chapter, we say goodbye to a dear friend… GASP! Until then, thanks for reading and please review! AND THANK YOU TO ALL MY LOVELY REVIEWERS!


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